Meet The Parents
by PK.Atomyst
Summary: Why is Sayaka so anxious about her parents coming home from a business trip? Maybe it has something to do with the foul mouthed redhead who she's been sleeping with? [Yuri]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Kyoko woke up with her arm around Sayaka's side, her hand resting just below her naked breasts. Kyoko pushed herself up on one elbow to look over and see if her lover was still sleeping. Sayaka's eyes opened slowly as she turned her head and said, "Morning," smiling. Kyoko leaned forward and they gave each other a quick kiss on the lips before separating. Kyoko sat up and stretched out with a loud yawn.

Sayaka, also sitting up now, had the covers pulled up over her chest. Even though they had been sleeping together for a good month now, Sayaka was always a bit shy. Kyoko found that to be extremely cute about her, especially since her attitude outside the bedroom gave off the exact opposite impression of her.

"Are you hungry?" Sayaka asked.

"Heh, do you have to ask?" Kyoko teased as she stood up, naked as the day she was born. "I'm getting a shower first, though."

"Ok, well what do you want?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. Surprise me?" she said as she walked toward the bathroom, carefully stepping through the room which was littered with discarded clothing.

Kyoko had been staying at Sayaka's house for the last month. She didn't have a home of her own before then, and lived her life going from place to place, never staying in any one spot for too long. Actually, this probably was the longest she had _ever_ stayed in one place since those years ago when she lost her family. She tried not to think of those days anymore, but when she did she always felt a deep guilt. She had blamed herself for their deaths, and convinced herself that she didn't deserve to have anyone in her life. So, she ended up spending two years distancing herself from other people and living on her own.

That all changed when she met Sayaka. Well, they didn't exactly get along at first, but even through their troubled times Kyoko felt a sort of kinship with the blue-haired tomboy. It partly had to do with the fact they had similar wishes, but more to do with the fact that Sayaka reminded Kyoko of how she used to be before her heart had gone cold. She spent a while trying to teach Sayaka the value of fighting only for yourself, and how useless it was to help others. Kyoko thought getting her to understand that concept would be the only way to save her. Turned out, Kyoko was dead wrong, and Sayaka ended up being the one to save Kyoko instead.

These days, Kyoko was more like her old self; the version of herself that she was before her wish had gone sour and she lost everything she held dear. Now that she had someone to care about again, and someone who cared for her in return, the coldness in her heart was melting away and she was learning to love again. Although she might not ever be completely back to how she was in those days, she at least now understood that she preferred this life over the lonely one that she had imposed on herself for so long.

She was quick in the shower, feeling really hungry and excited to eat Sayaka's cooking. She wondered what she would make? She dried herself off and licked her lips, thinking about all the possibilities. She exited the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, and smelled the air to try and get a hint at what was awaiting her. It smelled like... it smelled like... _like_... burning?

She noticed the clothing on the floor had already been completely cleaned up, and the tops of the dressers had been organized and wiped off as well. "Huh…"

Leaving the bedroom, her foot slipped on a wet floor. She nearly lost her towel as she caught herself on the wall, then looked down and saw the floor had just been freshly mopped. _Sayaka, what the hell?_ Then she realized that the burning smell was ever more apparent from outside the bedroom. She looked up and saw a thin layer of smoke dancing across the ceiling from around the corner.

"SAYAKA!" She yelled, in a panic, and rushed down the hall, nearly slipping several more times on her way. What could have happened? Why was Sayaka not responding? Did she get hurt somehow?

Kyoko slid as she rounded the corner, using one hand to hold up her towel. Finally in the kitchen, she skidded to a stop. From over the kitchen counter she could see Sayaka in the living room, and she was perfectly fine. She was vigorously scrubbing away at the coffee table with a wet rag. Kyoko noted the living room floor had also been cleaned (it was a tad messy the night before).

Kyoko looked over to the stove which had a frying pan full of... well, who knew what now... but it was burned and billowing smoke up into the air. She looked back and forth between the stove and Sayaka. Sayaka was totally oblivious, still scrubbing away as if nothing else mattered.

"Um... Sayaka?"

"What!" Sayaka spat out, clear irritation in her voice.

Kyoko just stood there with a flabbergasted look on her face, and pointed one finger over to the stove. "Eh... foods burning."

"Oh SHI-" Sayaka dropped the rag and ran into the kitchen, quickly turning off the stove and dumping the frying pan into the sink where she ran cold water over it. Steam billowed out of the sink, but at least the fire was out. Sayaka stood with her head down and both hands on the counter, panting to catch her breath.

"Um... are you ok?" asked Kyoko, puzzled.

Sayaka looked up at her, her face was completely flushed. "My parents are coming home!"

* * *

 **I went for comedy in this first section, but the later chapters are going to have some feels.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sayaka's parents were business partners who spent a lot of time working overseas. Therefore, Sayaka was usually left to tend the house by herself throughout most of the year. In spite of living in this house for the last month, Kyoko had not met them once. Really, she knew very little about them other than the detail that they were almost never home.

"So," Kyoko started, through a mouthful of food. "What's the big deal anyway?"

Kyoko had gotten dressed and took a quick run down to the store to buy breakfast, since whatever Sayaka had planned was already completely ruined. She admittedly wasn't very good at dealing with tender moments, _if that's what this was,_ so she wanted to give Sayaka a few minutes to chill out before getting to the bottom of whatever it was about. Now she was back, and they both sat at the table, eating the breakfast sandwiches that she had bought for them.

"I don't know," Sayaka said, looking quite embarrassed and nibbling at her sandwich. "Sorry to have worried you."

"Do you always get like that when your parents come home?"

"They give me a lot of responsibility with taking care of the house. So I just want them to think I'm doing a good job with it. Guess I got a little crazy this morning, huh?" She laughed and scratched the back of her head. Kyoko knew her well enough to know what that laugh meant: there was something she wasn't saying. She always did that when she was trying to hide something. Kyoko eyed her suspiciously.

"Yeah no kiddin'," Kyoko looked around. "Well, this place is spotless now. So it's all good, right?"

"Well, I usually cook dinner for them on their first night back... so there's still that to take care of."

"Ok, no problem! We'll just run to the store and pick up a few things." Thinking about the possible dinners turned Kyoko's eyes to stars and she started to drool. " _Hehehe, what're ya gonna make_?" She shook herself out of it, and coughed to regain herself. "Anyway, when do they get here?"

"They said around eight."

"Ok then, nothin' to worry about, there's plenty of time." Kyoko put a thumb up and grinned, but Sayaka still seemed troubled. Kyoko's hand lowered and her grin faded away from her face. _Seriously now, what's her deal?_

"It's not just about dinner. I don't know... the thing is I haven't told them about you yet."

"Yeah, so what? You can just tell them tonight. I can't wait to meet them." Sayaka's frown deepened and she slunk back a bit. Now Kyoko really was getting worried. She still had no idea what this was about, but she had never seen Sayaka act like this before. Then an idea hit her and she thought she understood. "Hey, don't worry, I'll behave myself, I promise. I'm a big girl, you know." And she laughed it off, expecting Sayaka to respond with some laughter too, but Sayaka only sunk further and further into her shoulders. "B-besides," Kyoko's eyes shifted away, "I eat over Mami's all the time and if someone like her doesn't mind me..." It was another weak stab at a joke, but the humor had faded completely from her voice at this point.

"Kyoko, I was thinking, maybe you should find somewhere else to stay for the next couple of days." Sayaka finally said. "They won't be here long and then you can come back." She started to brighten up as she went through this plan of hers "Yeah, that way they don't have to know and-" Sayaka continued talking, going through the details of her little plan, but Kyoko wasn't listening to the words anymore. She was hurt. What hurt her the most is that Sayaka actually seemed to be brightening up from her little _solution_. Or, maybe it was the fact that Sayaka thought there needed to be a solution in the first place.

 _Am I really that much of a problem?_

"Sayaka..." Kyoko cut in, meekly. "What are you talking about?"

Sayaka was suddenly snapped out of her own rambling thoughts. She saw the hurt expression on Kyoko's face, and more importantly she saw that Kyoko had put down her sandwich, still only half eaten. In all the time Sayaka had known Kyoko she had never once seen her not finish a meal. She kicked herself on the inside, just now coming to the realization of how thoughtless she was being.

The best thing she could have done at this point is just apologize. Or even better: knock herself on the head and make a joke like: _'Oh, there I go being all crazy again, what AM I talking about, haha?'_ If she did that, then maybe she could have gotten a laugh out of Kyoko and all this would be forgotten. That is not what she did, however. Instead, she tried to defend her position.

"Well, I mean, don't take it the wrong way. It's just my parents are... Well..." She thought hard, reaching for the right words. "I mean like, around someone like _you_..." Those were the wrong words.

Kyoko's face stiffened. "Someone like me, huh?" She stood up. "Ok, I get it."

"K-Kyoko wait," Sayaka said, realizing she had just said the totally wrong thing. She reached after her, but Kyoko turned away and started storming off. Sayaka got up and followed her out into the hall. "Hey come on, you know what I meant." She caught up to her just as she was reaching the front door.

"Yeah I do know what you meant," said Kyoko, one hand on the doorknob, the other draping a coat over her shoulder. "You meant exactly what you just said!" And with that she pulled the door open and stormed outside.

Standing on the front steps, Sayaka called after her: "Wait! I didn't mean it like that! Come back!" but she could do nothing but stand there and watch as her lover disappeared down the street.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Someone like me. Meh, what the hell does that even mean?!" Kyoko grabbed another cupcake and stuffed the whole thing into her mouth at once.

Mami, with wide eyes, sipped her tea and watched. She thought, _"That's the fifth one already…"_

After storming out of Sayaka's house, Kyoko had wandered around the city streets for a while, not knowing what to do with herself. She wasn't one to dwell on an emotion like sadness, so it quickly gave way to anger and she spent the day marching around in a fury. She hoped she would encounter a witch so she could blow off some steam, but she didn't have any such luck.

At one point in the day, she crossed paths with a group of skaters. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't notice them and got into one's way while he was trying to perform some trick or another. He nearly fell down trying to avoid her and said, "Hey idiot! Watch where you're going, will ya?"

Kyoko turned to him with a look in her eyes that could intimidate the devil. The heat of her rage was so strong, they could almost see it radiating in an aura around her. With a menacing sharp toothed grin, she cracked her knuckles and said: _"Got a problem?"_

"N-no! My fault!" he said, and their group quickly hit the road, one of them saying "That bitch is crazy!" as they scurried off.

While wandering the streets she eventually found herself outside of Mami's apartment. She hadn't planned on coming here, but she ended up pacing around outside for a few minutes, trying to decide if seeing Mami is something she wanted to do or not. Ultimately, she did decide to go up and knock.

Mami had seemed pleased by the surprise, always one to enjoy having company over, and invited Kyoko right in and offered her some cupcakes. It only took her a few minutes to realize something was wrong. She eventually got Kyoko to come out with it, and when she did Kyoko just started going on and on in a furious rant. Mami tried to get a few words in here or there, but Kyoko talked right over her. Mami had no choice but to sit and listen, sipping her tea and watching her pastries disappear one by one.

"I mean, acting like she's so perfect." Kyoko spat out a few crumbs as she spoke. Then, after taking another big bite out of a sixth cupcake she started to choke, and pounded on her chest to force it down. Finally, Mami had a chance to get a word in.

"Kyoko," she said softly. "Do you think maybe it's not about what she said, but more about what she _did_ that's upsetting you?"

Kyoko managed to pass the obstruction down her throat and panted as she caught her breath again. "What are you talking about?"

"Basically, she is nervous about allowing you to meet her parents and you're upset about that. Correct?"

"Please, why would I care about something like that? Well, maybe I do a little bit but it doesn't matter any more."

"Doesn't matter?"

"Yeah." Kyoko leaned back and scratched her nose, her eyes looking around the room to avoid meeting Mami's. "I've decided I'm done with her anyway. Actually, I was a fool to get so involved in the first place, you know? I've been getting way too comfortable. You know how long it's been since I've been on a decent witch hunt? Yeah, it's probably better I just get away, and get back to doing what I really should have been doing this whole time."

"You can't mean that..."

"Why not? It was just a casual thing anyway. It's not like it was going anywhere, especially if I can't even meet her parents." Kyoko stood up and brushed off her hands. "Actually, I'm kind of glad this happened. Better sooner than later, right? It was fun and all but I guess this is better than wasting any more time with it." She reached for her coat, signaling that she was preparing to leave. "I feel better now, thanks for listening, Mami. Thanks for the cupcakes too, that was grea-"

Mami cut her off: "Sit back down." There was a sudden sternness in her voice that stopped Kyoko dead in her tracks. "I have something to say."

Kyoko saw the look in her eyes and started to get a little freaked out. "Well actually... I just remembered I gotta go do a thing and-"

"Will I have to force you?" Her eyes narrowed even further and a darkness came over her face that Kyoko felt she had no choice but to obey.

"Well, I suppose I can stay just a little while!" Her head tilted with a smile, and she sat right back in her seat as if she had never stood in the first place.

"Ah, that's better. Do you need more tea?" Mami's face returned to the cool nurturing senpai so quickly that it was almost as if a switch had just been flipped.

Kyoko started waving her hands. "No, no I'm fine." _Woah, that was freaky._

"Now..." Mami said, dropping a sugar into her own tea and stirring it, "Don't take this the wrong way, but do you think you are just using this as an excuse?"

"Excuse?"

"I'm saying, maybe its that you have been looking for a reason to run away?"

"Run away? What are you talking about? She's the one..."

Mami really did not want to say this next part, because she knew it would cause Kyoko to freak out, but she knew it had to be said. "It could be that you are afraid of getting too close to someone. Now that you have it, you want to walk away before it can walk away from you. Have you even tried to understand her side of things? I'm not saying she is in the right, but I am saying it sounds like you're being pretty quick to write her off." She stirred her tea, and tried to be as casual as possible to hopefully soften the impending outburst. "You lost people who you cared about before. If you never let anyone in you don't have to worry about that happening again. I understand the reasoning, but living like that will only cause you more pain." She sipped her tea. "If things don't work out with Sayaka in the end that's fine, but don't let it fall apart just because you're afraid to let it work." Mami looked back to Kyoko, to gauge her feelings, but there wasn't much to be seen. Kyoko just looked toward the wall, a completely neutral expression on her face.

"What the hell do you know? Talking to me about something like that." Kyoko stood up abruptly, she grabbed her coat off the back of her chair and started pulling it on. "Sorry I came over. I'm leaving now." Part of Mami wanted to go after her, but at this point she knew it would be better to just let Kyoko go. At the door she turned and said: "You think you get it but you don't. You don't understand anything! You never did."

After the door slammed shut, Mami took another sip of her tea and thought: _Well, that actually went a little better than expected._

Her words may not have sunken in just yet, but maybe once Kyoko had a chance to blow off some steam it would reach her. Mami knew what she said upset Kyoko but she was glad she said it. It needed to be said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"I don't know," said Sayaka. "I don't think just saying _'I'm sorry'_ is enough."

This morning, Madoka had answered her front door to a depressed Sayaka. She invited her in, and Sayaka told her the whole story. Madoka wished she had better advice, but she did not think there was ever a situation like that in her own relationship with Homura, so she didn't really have anything to draw from. Whenever Homura did upset her, she would usually buy her something or surprise her in some other way and say sorry, and that was usually enough for Madoka to forgive her. Sayaka claimed that wouldn't work, however, so Madoka didn't know what else to tell her.

"Is it really that bad?" Madoka asked, "Maybe you're just overreacting a bit? Maybe when you get back home Kyoko will already be there waiting for you."

"I really doubt it... I messed up bad. I mean, she didn't even finish her breakfast."

"Kyoko didn't finish her breakfast?" Madoka's face shrunk into a frown as the seriousness of the situation became clear to her. "Oh... I see."

Homura entered from the kitchen. Apparently she had been eavesdropping on the conversation. "If you want to make it up to her it's pretty obvious what you have to do."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" asked Sayaka, leaning back and regarding her suspiciously. Madoka shot her a look that said _'be nice'_.

"Invite her to dinner with your parents tonight," Homura said simply, as she took a seat next to Madoka.

"I don't really know what good that would do," Sayaka answered. "I mean, her? Around my parents? Forget it, that's a disaster just waiting to happen. Besides, after what I said to her I seriously doubt it would take something as simple as that."

"You're clearly avoiding the real issue," Homura said, flatly.

"The real issue?"

"Words are cheap, and people say things they don't mean. A person's actions are much more defining of who they are, rather than the stupid things they say. Especially if it's coming from someone with a big mouth like you." Homura said it all so matter-of-factly that it took Sayaka a moment to realize she had just been insulted.

"B-big mouth?" She leaned over the table. "Alright, transfer student, you want to go or what?" She shouted, and started rolling up a sleeve.

 _Oh boy, here they go,_ Madoka thought with a sigh.

"And there you go avoiding the issue again. Instead of paying attention to the good advice I've just given you, your choosing to ignore it and focus on the insult at the end." She continued to speak in that dry way of speaking she always had.

"I-I think!" Madoka cut in before things could go any further. "I think what Homura is trying to say is, Kyoko isn't really upset about what you said to her. She is more upset about the fact that you are trying to hide her from your parents."

"Yeah, well, come on," Sayaka said, sitting back down and forgetting her feud with Homura. "Madoka, you know what they are like. Can you just imagine Kyoko sitting at a table with them?"

Homura cut back in: "And just how are you suppose to have a healthy relationship with someone if you're constantly trying to hide their existence?"

"Well, it wouldn't be that hard. My parents are almost never home, so it's really only a few days here and there and..." Sayaka stopped talking, and started to blush, just now realizing the depth of what she was saying. "Oh, man, I'm really an idiot aren't I?"

"At least you're aware of _that_ ," said Homura, which warranted Sayaka once again leaning over the table with gritted teeth and threatening her with a fist. Homura just shrugged, "Hey, you're the one who said it, not me."

"Come on!" Madoka said, "Don't fight!"

Sayaka obeyed, and sat back down. "Still, it's not that easy. I mean... They don't even know that... well..." She started to blush. "You know."

"That you love girls?" said Homura.

"Don't just say it so plainly!"

"Sayaka," Madoka started, "If you can't even say it, then how are you ever suppose to have a serious relationship with someone?"

"Yeah," said Homura. "Even a self admitted idiot like you should understand that."

"Homura!" Madoka shouted at her. "Stop that!"

Sayaka seemed she was going to let that one go. "No, she's right," she said with a sigh. "I mean, I actually don't mind most other people knowing... but, with my parents it's different. They're so proper and high society and all that, I just don't know how they're going to take it. It's different with you, Madoka, you're parents are so cool about everything. Hell, they practically fell all over Homura when you introduced her to them."

Now Madoka felt she actually had some useful advice. She said, "I get it, you are always working so hard to try and impress them, and it's good you want to make your parents proud. But changing, or even trying to hide who you are on the inside is taking it too far." She smiled. "I know how they are, and even if they don't react well at first I'm sure they will get over it after the initial shock. They're your parents, and at the end of the day they will always be your parents. You can't lose them. With Kyoko it's different, though. If you don't treat her right you can end up losing her, and, well... that would be really sad because I think the two of you are so great together!"

"Treat her right..." Sayaka buried her face in her arms. "Ah! I'm such an idiot! I was really treating her poorly, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, kind of," said Homura, and Madoka shot her a look.

Madoka put her hand on Sayaka's, and Sayaka looked up. "It's ok, you just need to make up for it now." She gave her a reassuring smile. "Go apologize and invite her to dinner to meet your parents. I'm sure she'll forgive you." Then she grinned, "If she doesn't, then we can always send Mami to go beat her up for you and set her straight!"

Sayaka laughed, "Yeah, your right." She seemed to be brightening up a bit now. "Guess I better go find her. Thanks Madoka." She looked over at Homura. "Thank you too, Homura... I think..."

"Don't mention it," said Homura, putting up the peace sign.

After she left and they heard the front door shut, Madoka folded her arms and with an irate demeanor she turned away from Homura.

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"I don't know, is there?"

"Um... Are you mad at me?"

Madoka shrugged.

"Oh come on, why?"

"You know why!"

"Ah... You know I was just giving her a hard time." Madoka stood up and stomped away. "Hey, don't be like that! I'm sorry, ok?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _"NICE! PERFECT! YOU'RE GREAT! SWEET MOVES! PERFECT! NICE! NICE! WOW!"_ Kyoko grinned as her feet tapped down on the last few squares of the song. _"AMAZING! HIGH SCORE! YOU'RE REALLY GOOD!"_

"Yup, still got it," she said, using the back of her wrist to wipe the smirk off her face. The machine let out a series of beeps as it dispensed a string of tickets. Kyoko bent over to snatch them up. " _Play again?..."_ Kyoko walked away as she started folding the tickets up.

While she was out looking for witches she happened upon the arcade. She figured since it seemed there were no witches to blow off some steam on after all, she might as well stop in and do one of her other favorite past times.

She walked around the arcade with her hands in her pockets, listening to all the disorganized beeps and flashes from the various games that surrounded her. Yeah, she loved coming here, and she was having a lot of fun too! Even if she was alone.

 _"Stupid Mami..."_ she thought, _"Stupid Sayaka..."_ She walked over to a motorcycle racing game and ran her hand over the cheap plastic bike that sat in front. _"Why did I start getting involved with people like that? Things are better this way anyway."_ She climbed onto the bike and slipped a few tokens into the slot to get it started. She leaned from side to side on the bike to select what track she wanted, then waited for the race to start. The bike rumbled as the starting bell went off and she twisted the accelerator on the handle. The game had a small air vent set up in front of the bike that blew wind in her face, it got stronger and weaker comparative to how fast the bike was going. That was a neat little add on, she thought, as she rounded a corner in the virtual world and passed one of the computer controlled players.

She went off a ramp, and was flying through the air, over a river. When the virtual bike landed on the other side, the plastic one beneath her rumbled to give the impression of an impact.

She leaned from side to side as she got to an area on the track that had lots of twists and turns. She smashed the side of her bike into another computer controlled racer and sent him skidding off the road, now taking second place. _"Yeah, I use to have a whole city as my own personal witch hunting territory. I gave that up for what? To share Mitakihara Town with three other Magical Girls? Stupid... what was I thinking, teaming up with those amateurs."_

She twisted the throttle, and pushed a button on the side to activate the nitro boost. The plastic bike leaned back slightly to give the impression of a wheelie, and it's rumbling became faster. the wind from the air vent blew on her even harder, hard enough to start blowing her hair around.

 _"Although, whenever we are done after a night of hunting, Mami always made really tasty cakes."_ She was getting closer to her last opponent, with only a couple miles left in the race. _"And I guess we had a lot of good times too, just hanging out and joking around. Me, Mami, Homura, Madoka, and... and Sayaka..."_

The track unexpectedly took a sharp turn just as she was getting ready to pass into first place. She was fully on the throttle, and didn't have time to slow down, so although she slammed the brakes on and leaned hard to the side, the virtual bike ended up skidding off the road and sliding over a cliff.

There was an animation of a helmet wearing racer falling through the air. His body had rag-doll like dynamics as it twisted and turned and eventually crashed into the ground. His limbs twisted and folded in a somewhat comedic fashion as the camera panned out over head

"SORRY! YOU LOSE! TRY AGAIN?"

She clicked her teeth. "Stupid ass game."

She figured she should get going soon anyway. She needed to find a place to crash for the night. It wouldn't be too hard for her, she was an experienced squatter after all. She would just find an apartment with a for sale sign on it, or maybe sneak into the window of a vacant hotel room. It's not like she could go back to Sayaka's tonight even if she wanted to; Sayaka had made that pretty damn clear.

She convinced herself she did not even care. Hell, after sleeping in the same bed as ' _Ser. Snores-a-lot'_ , she was actually looking forward to sleeping by herself for a change, and not having to wake up to Sayaka's bad sleep habits ten times throughout the course of the night. Sometimes Sayaka would pull the cover over to her side and leave Kyoko freezing. Sometimes her arm would fall on top of Kyoko's face and smother her. Sometimes she would kick her.

" _Yeah, not going to have to deal with that crap tonight_." She was going to snag a pizza from somewhere, then find a place to hideout for the night and have a nice personal party all by herself, just like old times.

She didn't need anyone, and she certainly did not need _Sayaka_!

Although... it had been abnormally cold for this time of year. Sometimes when it was a cold night she could cuddle up closer to Sayaka to be warmed by her body. Sometimes when Kyoko couldn't sleep, she could listen to Sayaka's breathing and count her breaths until she drifted off. Also, it was always adorable when Sayaka would start talking in her sleep. Kyoko would try her best to smother her laughter, so she could listen. Then there's that cute embarrassed expression Sayaka made when Kyoko would tease her by pulling the covers off of her unexpectedly, revealing her naked body. Then when they would get intimate with each other... Kyoko would miss all of that.

"Ah! Who the hell am I kidding!" she finally admitted, "This sucks!" She moped along, heading for the exit of the arcade. What could she do about it, though? Sayaka didn't want her around right now. She said so herself.

"Stupid Sayaka! Why do you have to be such a jerk? Well... maybe there _is_ something wrong with me. Maybe I should try to be a little more..." _A little more what?_

Nearing the exit, she looked up, and gasped in surprise by who she saw standing there near the doorway. She and Sayaka made eye contact with each other. Sayaka tried to smile, but it came off as a bit awkward due to the guilt she was feeling.

Kyoko just straightened her posture and folded her arms- narrowing her eyes, bitterly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"H-hey, Kyoko." Sayaka said as she approached her, giving her an apologetic smile. Kyoko just stood her ground, arms folded and eyes intense. Yeah, she was still pissed...

After leaving Madoka's house, Sayaka first decided to go over to Mami's to see if she had seen Kyoko. As it turned out, she had.

"You actually just missed her," Mami had said, rolling her eyes.

"How was she?" Sayaka asked, guiltily.

Mami just gave her a smile and said "Why don't you come in for a few minutes?" Once inside, she apologized that she did not have anything to snack on (being that Kyoko had just cleaned her out), but offered some tea at least, which Sayaka accepted. Over tea, Mami got more or less the same story that Kyoko had brought to her, minus the plethora of colorful wording that Mami had never heard from anyone other than the infamously foul mouthed redhead.

Sayaka finished the story, not leaving out her meeting with Madoka and Homura, and her plan to try and right her wrongs by inviting Kyoko to dinner. Mami agreed that was a good place to start.

Over tea they talked for a little while longer. Eventually Sayaka got up, saying she had better go look for her. Mami suggested the arcade.

Before she left Mami said one more thing: "Sayaka, Kyoko puts on a tough face most of the time, but the truth is she is a very fragile soul. So, please be patient with her." She smiled. "I think she needs you." She worried what might happen to her friend if these two weren't able to patch things up after all. Sayaka had been the one to save her from the self destructive lifestyle she imposed on herself, and Mami worried that without Sayaka that's exactly what Kyoko would revert back to.

Now Sayaka stood in front of Kyoko, standing in the entrance of the arcade. On the way here she had gone over what she wanted to say in her head, but now that Kyoko was actually standing in front of her the words were evading her. "What do you want?" Kyoko asked.

"Well... you know..."

"You shouldn't just stand in the doorway, idiot." Kyoko said, and pushed past her.

Kyoko had made her decision. She still wanted to be with Sayaka, so she decided she would just accept her role as a secret girlfriend. She didn't like it, but it was still better than the life she had before, when she was all alone. How long would it last, though? That's the part that troubled her. Maybe to Sayaka, going out with the cool tough chick was just a phase so she could feel like a rebel, and when it was over she would move on to someone more appropriate. Whatever the case, Kyoko knew the relationship couldn't last like that, but she would ride it out all the same. And maybe, if she tried hard, she could change herself into someone more appropriate. Someone Sayaka wouldn't be afraid of introducing to her parents, and she wouldn't have to be a secret girlfriend anymore.

Sayaka watched her go for only a moment before running to catch up with her. They both ended up walking side by side down the street. Neither one looking at the other.

"Listen... this morning," Sayaka started, "I was really acting crazy." She laughed awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood but Kyoko didn't seem in a laughing mood herself. "Look… I didn't mean it, ok?"

"Whatever. Its true ain't it? Someone like me ain't fit to take home to your parents. I don't blame you."

"No, that's not true… I shouldn't have said that... and… I'm sorry..."

Kyoko took a box of pocky out her back pocket and stuck one in her mouth. "Whatever, apology accepted." She held out the box. "Want some?"

Sayaka accepted, taking one out and putting it in her mouth as well. That was a good sign. She knew that in the redhead's world offering food was like the universal sign of friendship. Although, she still was not quite acting like her normal rambunctious self. She was still clearly upset.

"I already picked out a place to stay tonight," said Kyoko. "Just let me know when they're gone so I can come back. I'm fine with being your secret girlfriend. If that's what you want."

Sayaka stopped walking, and Kyoko made it forward only a few steps before realizing she was no longer by her side. Kyoko turned around, and saw that Sayaka's head was down with her face full of guilt. "Stop that," she said in a low voice. "That's not ok. Don't just accept something like that!"

Kyoko shrugged and looked away. "That's what you wanted though, right?"

Sayaka shook her head, and ran forward to close the few steps that were between them. She grabbed onto Kyoko's hand, and looked her in the eyes. "It's not! I was just being stupid... no... I was afraid. I was afraid because they don't know that I'm... I'm..." She swallowed, trying to find the right way to put it.

"A lesbian?" said Kyoko.

"Don't just say it so plainly!" Sayaka shouted. Then she sighed and thought she understood why Kyoko and Homura were able to get along so well. "Besides that, I was afraid that my parents wouldn't like you, and what they might say. But it doesn't matter. Because _I_ like you, and I want you to come to dinner and meet them, because..."

Sayaka's eyes shifted downward; it seemed she was once again struggling to say whatever it was. She tightened her grip on Kyoko's hands and looked back up at her with an adorable blush on her face as she shouted: "Because you're my GIRLFRIEND! And I want everyone to know!" Kyoko flinched back with her mouth half open, and an equally bright shade of red creeping onto her face.

They were both locked like that for what felt like a long moment, staring deeply into each other's eyes. Until they heard someone from down the street yell: "Woohoo! Get a room!"

Their hands parted and they both looked around, embarrassed, realizing they were out on a public street and several heads had turned their way at the sound of Sayaka's revelation.

Kyoko scratched the back of her head as her eyes shifted around. She tried to force the blush off her face. Sayaka had a similar reaction. "You dummy," Kyoko said under her breath. When their eyes met again, they both smiled. "Hang on a sec," Kyoko said, as she turned away. "Wait right here!"

Sayaka watched her, confused, as Kyoko ran away and turned into a small convenience store that was just a little further along their path. Sayaka walked forward to the front of the store and waited for her, wondering what this could be about. Kyoko came out a minute later, holding a box of instant noodles. She stood in front of her and held them out, blushing and looking across the street. Sayaka smiled.

On one of their first dates, Sayaka had cooked dinner _\- well, tried to cook dinner, anyway -_ but made a mess of it and created something that was totally inedible. Normally she was a pretty good cook, but on that night she was so anxious for the date to go well and to have a perfectly romantic evening with her new girlfriend, that she ended up making a lot of mistakes and ruining things. She became completely depressed over it, despite Kyoko trying to tell her it was alright. Kyoko eventually resolved the situation by running out to the store and bringing back instant noodles, saying: "Here's something you really can't mess up on." It sort of became like an inside joke between the two of them.

Kyoko now held out the same brand of instant noodles from that night. "Here, I know how you get when you start trying too hard. So, I figured you should have a backup plan."

Sayaka smiled, "Thanks." and took the noodles from Kyoko. Kyoko turned and started walking away with her hands in her jacket pockets. At first Sayaka thought that was her way of saying she wasn't going to come to dinner anyway. "Wait! Where are you going?" She called after her.

Kyoko turned back. "I just got a couple things to do first. Shouldn't you go get started on dinner? You wasted enough time already, haven't you?" She smiled. "Don't worry, I won't be late."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kyoko was at Mami's house, looking at herself in the mirror. Her shoulders were hunched, with a deep frown and red blush on her face. "You look great!" Mami declared, giggling merrily. She seemed to be having just a little bit _too_ much fun with this.

"I look like a damn preppy bitch," Kyoko said, under her breath.

Mami gave her a scolding look. "Don't be ridiculous, you look perfectly fine. Honestly, does it really kill you to wear some nice clothes for a change? Or would you rather go meet her parents in a hoodie and a tank top? Oh, and those short jean shorts, I'm sure they would be impressed by that."

Kyoko sighed, and looked at herself more seriously. She supposed it wasn't that bad. She was wearing a skirt that went past her knees, which is something she wasn't use to, and a blouse, and Mami picked out a different ribbon for her hair. In reality, the outfit was fairly casual. From Kyoko's point of view it seemed formal as hell, but that was only because her ordinary clothing was causal to the extreme. So, she was not exactly use to seeing herself like this.

She was still glad that she came to Mami and not Madoka, though. Madoka was her first idea, since she knew Sayaka's parents so well. However, she imagined if she showed up at Madoka's asking for help getting dressed, the pinkette would probably end up fainting from excitement.

Kyoko nearly puked, just imagining the frilly dresses Madoka would force her to try on. Not to mention Homura would be there too, and Kyoko would have to suffer all her half-smiles and sarcastic remarks. Homura would probably go right for the girliest outfit in Madoka's wardrobe and say, "How about this one?" With that smug look on her face.

"Look, don't be nervous," Mami assured her. "Just be yourself... Well, watch the cursing, and try not to slouch so much. But you don't have to go in there and try to pretend you are someone you're not."

"I don't know... I mean, the idea of my normal self meeting with her parents is what caused the argument in the first place," she said with downcast eyes.

Mami put a hand on hers. "I don't know her parents, so I don't know what that's all about. However, if you start off your relationship with them by living a lie that will only end in disaster. Even if they don't warm up to you right away, it's ok, because you are a good kind-hearted person, and anyone who doesn't see that isn't worth it anyway."

"Yeah, you're right, but it's just that I can tell this is really important to Sayaka. So, I guess I just really don't want to mess it up and end up disappointing her." She shrugged, "I dunno, maybe I should just relax."

Mami looked at her seriously, but the serious expression slowly pulled away from her face as she could not help a giddy smile that was now coming over her instead. "Oh! My little kouhai is growing up so fast!" Mami exclaimed, letting out an excited squeal and wiping a tear from her eye. "Already in a serious relationship and getting ready to meet her future in-laws!"

"Hey! It's not like we're getting married!" Mami put an arm around her shoulder and gave the reluctant Kyoko a deep hug. "Seriously Mami! Quit it! You're freaking me out again!"

"Heh, sorry, this is just too exciting for me," she said, giving Kyoko one last squeeze before releasing her.

"Bah, idiot." She sighed. "You know, it's a good point you made, though."

"About just being yourself?"

"No, I'm saying I'm your kouhai, right? So shouldn't you be the one doing this kind of stuff first?"

"Oh... well, I..."

"Yeah, now that I think about it." Kyoko grinned mischievously, "Why is it that you've never had a boyfriend or anything before, _senpai_?"

Mami suddenly seemed frazzled. "Um... Y-you know, it's not that I _can't_ get one, it's just..."

Kyoko leaned forward with a hand on her chin and a deep interrogative look in her eyes "Hmmm... _Yeeaaaah_... I wonder what it could be..." she mused, grinning sharply.

Mami suddenly folded her arms and turned away. "I just don't have the time for such things!" she claimed, "I'm a senior, so I have lots of responsibilities at school, as well as tending to a house all by myself, and not to mention hunting witches full time!"

They both got silent for a while, but eventually they both just burst out into laughter. Finally, Kyoko looked at the time, and realized she had better be going soon. " _Welllp_ , I don't wanna be late." she said, standing up.

"yup," Mami smiled. "Good luck!"

At the door Kyoko turned around. "Listen, about earlier today..." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize." She smiled. "You know I'm always here for you."

"Yeah..." Kyoko grinned and tried to put her hands in her pockets, but looked down in confusion when she realized the skirt did not have pockets. "Anyway, thanks for everything," she said, and went out the door.

* * *

 _Where is she?_ Sayaka thought, glancing at the clock and seeing that it was already quarter till eight; Only fifteen minutes before her parents would arrive. She had just finished setting the table, and looked over everything, trying to remember anything she might have missed. Everything seemed to be in order, and she managed to finish everything without burning or ruining one single dish. She sighed with relief.

Still, looking at the clock anxiously, she wished Kyoko would show up already. _That's so like her!_ Sayaka thought, _she's going to wait until the very last minute!_ She would have liked a minute alone with Kyoko before her parents arrived, so she could fix her up a bit and maybe give her a nice shirt to wear. She could already imagine it: Kyoko showing up in a hoodie, scratching her butt and holding out a box of pocky, saying "Want some?"

Sayaka sighed, thinking: _This is going to be an absolute disaster._ She personally loved those things about Kyoko; her laid back attitude, her disregard for order, her obsession with anything edible. Not to mention she's so strong and caring, despite her disposition that she's _really_ only out for herself. Yeah, Sayaka loved Kyoko... but she was also a realist, and the chances of this dinner going well were slim to none.

Then, she heard the front door open. _Finally_! She thought, and walked over to the living room to greet her. "Hey! Kyo-" She stopped, it wasn't Kyoko, it was her parents. "Oh! Mom, dad! Welcome home!" she said with a smile. "You're early."

Her dad was a tall big-bodied man with broad shoulders. His short blue hair was combed and gelled in a very stylish fashion, and he was clean cut aside from a thin blue goatee on his chin. Her mother was an average sized woman, but compared to her husband's large stature she seemed small. She wore glasses, and though her face had not a wrinkle on it her eyes held an aged wisdom. She had brown hair that was pulled back into a small ponytail, and she had a purse slung over the elbow of one of her thin arms.

"Hey!" her father exclaimed with a big smile, setting down the two suitcases by the front door. "How's my favorite daughter?" he said as he approached Sayaka, and scooped her up into one of his arms.

"I-I'm good!" she said, blushing as he lifted her off her feet. He set her back down and put one of his big hands on the top of her head and ruffled her hair. Sayaka slunk down into her shoulders and said, "Come on dad! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Haha, I guess you're right."

Her mother set down her bag and slowly walked through the house, looking things over with an inquisitive eye, as if performing an inspection. She bent over a stack of magazines on the coffee table and straightened the corners, then walked into the dining room. "So..." she started to ask, noting the fourth plate that was set at the table. "Kyo?"

"Oh, I invited a friend over for dinner," she said, getting ready to explain. In her head she heard herself say _'actually, it's my girlfriend!'_ or _'well, it's actually someone very important to me who I want you to meet!'_. She felt the words becoming caught in her throat, however, and she couldn't quite get them out.

Mrs. Miki saw the blush on her daughter's face and thought she had things figured out. "Is it a boyfriend?" she inquired.

"N-no!" Sayaka blurted out. "It's not a boyfriend!" Well, that wasn't technically a lie.

"It's alright, dear," her mother said, noting her frazzled expression. "You are at that age, after all. I'm honestly excited to meet him."

"I-I told you it's not a boyfriend!" she said again; again, not _technically_ lying.

Her father laughed. "Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions? Dear?" he said to his wife.

"Perhaps..."

Then, they all heard the front door open, and they turned to see who it was. Kyoko entered the house, holding a store bought cake in her hands, smiling a tad awkwardly. Sayaka was taken back at first; Kyoko was dressed nicer than she had ever seen before! Her hair was freshly combed with a new bow tying off her ponytail. She was wearing an actual collared shirt, and a perfectly fashionable skirt. She looked like a proper lady; Sayaka didn't think it was possible. She smiled at Kyoko, giving her a silent _'thank you'_ then went to lead her in. Her parents looked at the two of them, a touch of confusion on their faces.

"Mom. Dad." she said, "This is Kyoko she's... she's... well... she's my..." The word was so strong in her head, yet getting lost somewhere on the tip of her tongue.

 _'GIRLFRIEND! Damn it! GIRLFRIEND! She's your GIRLFRIEND! Just say it!'_

"She's... she's my-

* * *

 **Lol, cliffhanger.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"She's my... my..."

Kyoko stood there, smiling awkwardly. _'Sayaka, what the hell are you doing?'_

"She's my… um…"

"A friend from school?" her dad offered.

"Yup!" Sayaka blurted out, "A friend from school! Haha, yeah, that's Kyoko, my B.F.F.!" She grinned awkwardly, putting an arm over Kyoko's shoulder. She continued to laugh while kicking herself on the inside. _'What the hell is wrong with you?!'_ she said to herself.

Kyoko stepped forward and bowed. "Ah, yes, I'm Kyoko Sakura. It's nice to meet you!" They exchanged their greetings, then Kyoko held out the cake. "Um, I brought this."

"Oh, thank you dear," Mrs. Miki said, taking the cake from her. "I'll just go put it in here for now."

"Anyway," Sayaka's dad said, "Let's eat already!" And he laughed, following his wife into the dining room.

Once they were gone, Kyoko looked back at Sayaka with narrow eyes. Sayaka mouthed the words _I'm sorry_.

Kyoko rolled her eyes and gestured towards the dinning room, "It's your house." Sayaka nodded, and led the way.

"Wow, Sayaka," her father said, as they entered the room. "You really outdid yourself this time."

Looking over the table, Kyoko was inclined to agree with him. Her eyes turned to stars and she was tempted to jump into a chair and start digging in right away. She held herself back, though. Sayaka may have dropped the ball on introducing her properly, but she still wanted to make a good first impression with her girlfriend's parents; whether they knew who she was or not.

"Really, you didn't have to do all of this," Mrs. Miki said to her daughter, as she took a seat.

"Ah, yeah, you know," Sayaka laughed, scratching the back of her head. "You have just been gone so long, I wanted to do something special." Then, under her breath: "Yeah... that's totally the _only_ reason..." She looked over to Kyoko, hoping she was not too mad at her. Kyoko made eye contact with her and just shrugged her shoulders as she sat down.

Kyoko decided she wouldn't be upset with her. She knew Sayaka wanted to say it, but just ended up choking at the last second. It wasn't totally unexpected, Sayaka had a bad habit of getting flustered whenever she is under pressure. Besides, Kyoko could tell by the guilty look on Sayaka's face that she felt horrible about it.

Maybe it would actually be better this way. Maybe she could just make a good impression as Sayaka's friend, and later, when Sayaka felt more comfortable, they could clear things up. Although, she still felt a tad uneasy about the situation.

After everyone was seated and had their plates full Sayaka asked her parents: "So, how did your trip go?"

"Pretty smoothly," her father started. "Well, there was a mix up with our flight to Hawaii that almost caused some big problems, but it all worked out in the end."

"Oh right," his wife added, "That was Tatsikawa's fault, you know, I don't know why we keep him around."

"Oh, come on, he's not so bad. It was just this one mix up, and he has been with us for so long..."

"No, it was more than just this. Remember what happened with the Henderson account last april?" Talking about this Tatsikawa person led them into bickering about a 'Henderson account' which led them to another topic and another that neither Kyoko or Sayaka were able to follow. Kyoko looked at Sayaka, not sure what else to do, and Sayaka just shrugged and grinned.

"Well, here we are being rude," Mrs. Miki finally said, to pull away from the track they were on. "The dinner table isn't a good place to discuss business. So, Kyoko, I take it you go to school with Sayaka?"

Kyoko had picked up a chicken leg and it was mere inches away from her mouth when the question was asked, so suffice to say her mind was occupied and she didn't think it over before answering. "Oh, na, I don't go to school." She instantly felt Sayaka kick her leg, causing her to drop the food back onto the plate. "Ah! Well eh, what I mean is... um..."

"She's a transfer student!" Sayaka cut in. "She went to school in Kazamino City, and she'll be transferring to my school when the break is over." That wasn't _totally_ a lie. Kyoko hadn't been to school in two years, but after an intervention with Mami and the rest of the group they got her to agree to transfer into their school next semester.

"Yeah... that's it," Kyoko said under her breath, slightly barring her teeth at Sayaka because of the throbbing pain she was now feeling on her leg. "I'm a _transfer_ student…"

"Oh, I see..." Mrs. Miki said, noticing the exchange between them with only half a mind, but Kyoko was able to return to a neutral expression before anything seemed too out of place.

"huh..." her dad seemed to be pondering something, though. "But I thought you said she was a friend from school, Sayaka."

"Oh... she is... we uh, well..." They really knew each other through both of them being Magical Girls, but Sayaka was racking her brain for something to say other than that. "You see, there's these extra curricular activities after school..."

"Yeah," Kyoko cut in, trying to be helpful. "We are both Magi-" Her teeth barred when she felt Sayaka kick her again. "Ma-mah-mahjong enthusiasts!" she blurted out instead.

"Heh, heh, that's right," Sayaka laughed. "We play mahjong after school! See, the clubs from Kazamino and Mitakihara get together sometimes, and THAT'S how we know each other."

"You play Mahjong?" her mother asked. "Since when?"

"Well, I actually just started getting into it a little while ago. Kyoko's the real expert!" she said, laughing and scratching the back of her head.

"Really?" her father said, looking over to Kyoko. "In that case we should play!" He grinned, stroking his beard with one hand. "I happen to be quite the fierce mahjong player myself, you see."

"Oh, sure that sounds like fun!" Kyoko laughed, putting on an innocent smile and tilting her head slightly to the side. _'Damn it Sayaka, I've never even PLAYED mahjong before!'_ Well, it was her own lie, but still.

"Something still doesn't add up..." Mrs. Miki said, looking between the two of them and finally starting to realize that something was amiss. "School has been out for the last month and I'm almost positive you weren't in any mahjong clubs before than..."

"Oh, yeah..." Sayaka said, blushing and rubbing the back of her head. "Well, you see even when schools out... well, we uh..." Her mother raised an eyebrow, now fully convinced that her daughter was lying about this for some reason, but could not yet think of a reason why that would be. "The clubs still… um..."

Kyoko's eyes dropped away. Mami had told her to just be herself, but so far every single thing she has said to these people has been a lie. She saw Sayaka reaching for more and more lies, and just couldn't take it anymore. She decided she would take the initiative and fix things herself. She just hoped it would go over well.

"Um... listen," Kyoko started, cutting Sayaka off. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry but we haven't been completely honest with you. You see, I'm here tonight because it was really important to me that I'd get the chance to meet you. It's important to Sayaka too... because... well..." Mr. and Mrs. Miki were looking back and forth between the two of them, both had looks of complete confusion on their faces.

"Kyoko wait," Sayaka said, and for a moment Kyoko thought she was trying to stop her from telling the truth, but then she followed up with: "I should tell them." and gave Kyoko a smile.

"Tell us what? Dear?" Her mother asked.

"Well... you see, the truth is Kyoko has actually been living here for the last month while you were away. Her own family situation is a bit... complicated... but, it's more than that actually. You see, the truth is she and I are... well... she's..." Sayaka was still having trouble saying it directly to her parents, but then she felt Kyoko's hand grab onto hers under the table. Sayaka looked over to her, and saw the supportive smile on her face, and it was enough to strengthen her resolve. _Alright. Here it goes_ , she thought, and she looked back to her parents. "She's my…" She smiled, making eye contact with both of them, "Girlfriend!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"She's my... Girlfriend!"

Upon saying the words, Sayaka felt as though a huge weight were finally lifted off of her shoulders. However, after being followed by a long moment of complete silence she felt a different kind of anxiety creeping into her heart.

Kyoko also felt the discomfort, wondering if she was now supposed to say something, but everything she thought of just sounded stupid. _Damn it Mami, why didn't you do a better job coaching me? What the hell do I do now?_ But, she could feel Sayaka's hand in hers and she knew there was at least one thing that felt right, and she squeezed it tighter.

"Now..." Mrs. Miki finally started, looking over the two of them. "When you say... _Girlfriend_..." She pronounced the word with a certain level of contempt.

Sayaka blushed and glanced away. "Well, we're dating."

"I see..." and Mrs. Miki went to moving the food on her plate around with her fork, her eyes shot holes through the table.

Mr. Miki cleared his throat to break the silence. "Well... that's..." he started slowly, but was quickly cut off by his wife.

With a dry controlled tone, she said "This is _your_ fault, you know."

Kyoko mouth dropped open slightly, and she felt Sayaka's hand under the table hold on to hers even tighter. They had seemed pleasant enough, Kyoko thought, maybe she was misreading the tone of Mrs. Miki's voice? Surely she didn't mean it like that! It was way too cold. Kyoko looked over to Sayaka and saw her head shrinking down into her shoulders and a nervous grimace appearing on her face.

Mr. Miki himself still seemed at a loss for words, and cleared his throat again, but Mrs. Miki was the one to continue speaking. "You said to just leave her alone, and that it would pass. I knew better, I told you we should say something to her. Now look..." She sighed, and looked at the two girls who sat across from her.

She looked over Kyoko with narrow, judgmental eyes, and all Kyoko could do in response is grin awkwardly thinking: _Come on lady! I put on nice clothes for you and everything! What the hell do you want?_ She wasn't sure why Mrs. Miki was acting like that, she wondered if it was her. She didn't think she used any slang terms, and she was positive she hadn't cursed at all since coming inside. She thought she had been polite, but still couldn't help but wonder if she had done something wrong.

When Mrs. Miki's eyes fell on her daughter, her stare softened a bit, and her voice took on a bit of a kinder tone. "Sayaka, dear," she said, and for a moment Kyoko thought things were ok. She had a fleeting idea that the initial dryness of her voice had just been from surprise and now she would get over it and they could all relax and enjoy the dinner. What she said next wasn't what Kyoko expected, however. Although her words manage to shake the insecurities out of Kyoko's heart, those insecurities were instead replaced with anger. "Don't you think this little phase of yours has gone on long enough? Dear?"

The distress was clear on Sayaka's face, and it made Kyoko even angrier. "Mom, I-I..." She was trying to say something, but her mother talked right over her.

"Honestly, you are getting older now. As a child it's not so bad; the short hair, playing sports, generally acting _boyish_. But, when is it going to stop? When are you going to start acting more lady-like?"

Mr. Miki cleared his throat. "Your mother's right, you are getting older. Eventually you will need to apply for colleges, and even jobs. You should learn to start presenting yourself more properly."

"It should start here," Mrs. Miki agreed. "Stop with these silly fantasies of yours. I mean, with something like this..." Mrs. Miki waved her hand as if fanning the thought away. "Think about your future, dear."

"Mom... no, I..." Sayaka was trying her hardest to get a word in, but her parents were hitting her with too much at once. Sayaka felt Kyoko's hand gripping hers, and worried Kyoko was on the verge of losing her cool. She looked over to the red head, ignoring her parents for a moment while they continued to talk, and saw a darkness coming over Kyoko's face. Her head was bowed slightly with her hair falling over it, partly hiding her eyes. _It's ok, Kyoko, I know how this looks but don't be you right now. Just let me handle it._ She squeezed Kyoko's hands as if she thought that could transfer the thoughts over.

Mrs. Miki finished berating Sayaka with whatever other point she was making, then turned to Kyoko. "Kyoko," she said, in a soft tone. "You do seem like a nice girl, but I think it's best that you leave now."

Sayaka flinched, almost as if she had been struck by something. She wanted to scream "NO!" but even in this situation she couldn't bring herself to flat out deny her parents. She had always done whatever they asked of her, as if it were not a choice, so the ability to let out an actual verbal refusal was beyond her.

"My daughter is just confused," Mrs. Miki continued, matter-of-factly. "And I'm sorry, but you living here is absolutely out of the question."

She felt Kyoko's grip loosen, and her fingers slipped away from Sayaka's palm as she stood. _Kyoko, no!_

"It's alright," she said to Sayaka, her words were slow and heavy. "This is their house after all." Her head was bowed down with her hair casting a full shadow over the upper half of her face. "But before I go there's something I want to say." She looked up, locking eyes with one of Sayaka's parents, and then the other. "You people make me sick."

"Young lady, I don't think I-" Mrs. Miki started, but was quickly silenced when Kyoko slammed her hand down on top of the table. She shot her a look that was so full of emotion that anyone would be silenced by it.

"NO!" Kyoko yelled, "I've heard enough out of you! I'm talking now!" Her voice lowered from a yell and instead took on a slow accusing slur. "Your daughter tells you something that's clearly very important to her, and she's clearly been having a hard time with it. Then, this is how you respond?" There's a lot more she could have said (if this was two months ago, she would have), but she held herself back and just settled with shaking her head and letting her eyes drop away. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve any of it..."

Then she spoke to Sayaka, she couldn't look at her, because it took everything she had to hold herself together and if she were to look at Sayaka right now she knew she would end up breaking down. "I'm sorry Sayaka... I should go now." Then she turned and slowly walked out of the house, being careful to close the door softly rather than slam it off of it's hinges like she really wanted to.

The room was completely silent at that point, none of the three who still sat at the table looked at each other.

"Well... that was..." her father started, but stopped himself, feeling guilty.

Her mother always was the more impetuous one. "Honestly, what were you thinking? Bringing a girl like tha-"

Sayaka stood up abruptly, sliding the chair out from under herself with a loud scraping sound. Her head was down and her fists were balled at her skirt. She made not a sound, but tears were flowing freely down the sides of her cheeks. "Don't ever say anything bad about Kyoko!" She yelled, not thinking about what she was doing. Then, she quickly turned and ran away.

"Sayaka! Where are you going?" Mrs. Miki stood and reached after her daughter, but she was answered by nothing but the sound of a slamming door.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Kyoko folded her arms up into her chest as she walked. It was an unusually cold night for the time of year, and each breath let out a small cloud which lingered around her face before dispersing.

 _I shouldn't have left her._

What could she have done, though? Wouldn't it just have made things even worse if she tried to stay? She raised a hand to her face and wiped the tears away, then looked at her fingertips and examined the wetness that was transferred onto them.

She couldn't remember the last time she had cried. She hasn't done so once since becoming a Magical Girl... not even when...

The memory had always discomforted her, but for some reason it was now causing more than just tears to touch her eyes. The sadness filled her entire body, and she wanted to just kneel down right there in the street and start sobbing wildly.

Her father died, her mother died, and little Momo died, and it was a direct result of her making a wish. Thinking about it usually didn't affect her, but this time it felt like the thoughts were tearing her apart.

She fell against a light post, and rested her head against it while wrapping one arm around as if giving it a hug. "Idiot," she said to herself. "That was almost three years ago, so why are you doing this now?" She started hitting her head against the pole. "Stop it, stop it, stop it."

She didn't know where to go. She could go to Mami's house, but part of her didn't want to. There was that reclusive side of her that lingered in her heart, and it told her she just wanted to be alone.

She could go steal some food from a store. She promised her friends that she would stop stealing, but this wasn't an ordinary situation, and she didn't know what else to do. Once she had something to eat, she could go find an abandoned house, or a hotel room to break into.

Then, tomorrow, she could go try and find Sayaka...

...or maybe she _wouldn't_. Life was less painful alone... There were less opportunities to get hurt. She had almost forgotten that. So, it would probably be better if she just disappeared. It might be better for Sayaka, too.

"Yeah, that's right..." she whispered, a grin coming over her face. "I'll just run away." She knew if she hadn't started getting close to people in the first place, she wouldn't be feeling like this right now. She may have been alone for two and a half years, but at least she never felt any sadness.

She reached for her back pocket, to grab the box of pocky she usually kept there. Her fingers just brushed against soft fabric, since the dress didn't have pockets, and she had left her pocky at Mami's house.

 _Yeah... I'm just going to disappear_. She pushed away from the light post and started making a sound that could either be laughter or crying. Her face was wet, and her eyes were dark and heavy as she continued walking. _It's better like that, it's so much better._

Then, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and it stopped her dead in her tracks. She felt Sayaka's face bury itself into her back, and she could hear Sayaka crying. "I'm sorry!" she said, "I'm so sorry!"

"Sayaka?" Kyoko whispered. Her left hand raised and grabbed onto one of Sayaka's arms, which were crossed over her chest as Sayaka held onto her and wept. The tears had stopped flowing so freely from Kyoko's eyes, and she turned around to return Sayaka's embrace.

They held each other, Sayaka's face in Kyoko's chest, and Kyoko's chin resting over her shoulder. "That was horrible," Sayaka said. "I didn't think that... I'm so sorry that happened!"

"You dummy," Kyoko whispered directly into her ear, holding her tightly. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Sayaka shook her head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong."

Kyoko just held her for a while, allowing her to cry.

 _Was I really thinking of leaving? What the hell? I don't wanna leave..._ Her arms tightened around Sayaka. Sayaka didn't know what it was Kyoko was apologizing for, but all the same Kyoko knew an apology was due for the kinds of thoughts she had just been thinking. _No, I never want to leave her side again._

Eventually Sayaka looked up. "I don't want to go home tonight. Do you think Mami would mind if we went to her house?"

Kyoko thought about it for a moment and said, "Na, she wouldn't mind, but I have a better Idea." She kept an arm around Sayaka's shoulder and started walking down the street with her.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Kyoko ended up taking Sayaka's hand and leading her into an alleyway behind a hotel. "What are we doing here?"

Kyoko let go of her hand for a moment as she tested a door handle. Sayaka looked around nervously; it was nighttime and there were no lights in this alleyway so it was really dark. Kyoko pulled out her SoulGem and held it against the handle, there was a bright flash of light and they could both hear a soft click from inside the door as the deadbolt slid open. Kyoko held the door open and gestured inside "Maddam," she said, a soft grin touching her face.

"K-Kyoko, is it really ok to do something like that?"

Kyoko shrugged. "Probably not, but it's not like we are hurting anyone. Besides, there's something I want to show you." Sayaka still seemed a bit hesitant so Kyoko added: "Just trust me." And that was all Sayaka needed to move forward and step inside.

Kyoko held her hand as she led her up the stairs. They went all the way to the top floor, and when they got there Kyoko peaked her head out into the hall before continuing.

"What if someone catches us?" Sayaka asked.

"They'll just kick us out, they can't really do anything." Kyoko shrugged. They walked all the way to the end of the hall, until Kyoko stopped at a door at the very end. "Besides, the danger makes it exciting." She winked as she held her SoulGem up to the doorknob, and it clicked open just as the one at the back entrance had.

Kyoko led her in and gestured around the room. Sayaka's hands clapped together at her chest as she looked around, aweing at the fabulous room. "Welcome to lifestyles of the rich and famous!" Kyoko laughed, shutting the door. "Actually, I used this room before. It probably costs a hella-lot to actually pay for, so I guess it doesn't get rented out that often. Only if some big shot happens to be in town."

It may have been a hotel room, but Sayaka thought it might be bigger than her entire house! She took in the big screen TV, the expensive furniture, the extremely soft shag carpeting, and it looked like the kitchen was made entirely of marble. From the ceiling hung a chandelier. Sayaka always thought SoulGems were one of the prettiest things she had ever seen as far as jewelry goes, and that was true, but the chandelier came close. The jewels that hung from it caught the light they were shielding and refracted it into a rainbow of colors that gently hued the space around it.

"Should we really be doing this?" Sayaka asked again, although if she was trying to chastise Kyoko in any way, her voice didn't show it. She was awestruck by the room, and her voice could only convey that feeling of wonder. "I mean, we could get in trouble."

Kyoko grinned, catching up with Sayaka and putting an arm over her shoulder. "You can be a bad girl for just one night, can't you?" Then she blushed, realizing how that sounded.

Sayaka didn't mind, as she turned herself inside Kyoko's arm and met her face to face with a seductive smile. "Yeah, I don't mind being bad." Then she leaned forward with her eyes closed, closing the distance between them and meeting Kyoko lip to lip. She felt Kyoko suck on her lower lip, then retreat briefly, just to come back and lock mouths again more fully.

Kyoko felt one of Sayaka's hands creep lower on her back, until it made it down to her ass and grab on. Kyoko pulled away, she liked where all this was going, but she didn't want it to go too fast. She wanted to slow things down and make the evening last. Sayaka looked at her, her face red with blush and she asked "What?" Wondering why Kyoko had stopped.

Kyoko just stared at her for a moment, not revealing anything, and finding it amusing to watch Sayaka's anxious anticipation. Eventually, she pushed Sayaka away with a soft touch and said "Hang on a sec." Then went for the kitchen...

 _...The KITCHEN_?

Sayaka gave her the benefit of the doubt at first, but then she saw Kyoko open the fridge and start digging around inside. Sayaka folded her arms and her face went red from anger rather than blush. She knew Kyoko sometimes picked inappropriate times to start snacking, but this was just ridiculous! Sure, they didn't get around to actually eating dinner, but still. Sayaka followed Kyoko into the kitchen, getting ready to give her a piece of her mind, but she stop when Kyoko turned away from the fridge. She was holding something and grinning sharply.

"Looks like I was right. These kinds of rooms usually get stocked with stuff like this." Kyoko slammed the bottle of champagne down on the countertop. "So, how about it?"

"Kyoko! We can't drink that, we're underage!"

"Hey, come on, I'm not saying we should drink the whole bottle! Let's just try some." She worked the cork with her thumb and eventually popped it off. "I thought you were ok with being _bad_?"

Sayaka figured it wasn't any worse than breaking and entering, and it's not like she never had alcohol before. Her parents let her taste a little at parties and on special occasions, but she had never actually gotten drunk before. "Well, ok," she said. "I guess it would be a waste to not at least try some."

* * *

"So then I SAID! 'Hey how come you never had a boyfriend or anything before, _SENPAI!_ ' Awww, you should have seen her face." Kyoko laughed, her face was bright red from drunkenness. "She didn't know WHAT to say… heheheh, it was great."

Sayaka laughed at the story, reaching for the bottle on the coffee table to give herself a refill. She could totally imagine the look on Mami's face after that kind of a burn. She poured the champagne, and by the time the bottle was fully upside down her glass was only part of the way full.

"Aw, it's all _gone_." Sayaka giggled as she sat back, and Kyoko returned an arm around her shoulder.

"Cheers," Kyoko said, holding up her glass.

"No, no! Wait, we have to do a toast!"

"A toast? To what?"

"Um…" Sayaka sat with the glass in her lap and both hands holding onto it. Kyoko still rested her free arm over her shoulder as Sayaka thought over what to make a toast to. Then, a big smile came over her face, and she raised her glass high in the air, shouting: "A toast to Kyoko's sexy ASS!" And she started laughing wildly, totally amused by her own joke.

Kyoko sighed and leaned back, _oh man, she really is drunk._ "I'm not toasting to that, dummy." Kyoko was feeling pretty tipsy herself, but Sayaka was clearly far more affected by it. Kyoko thought that they drank about the same, but maybe it's just that some people handle it better than others.

"Well _waaaht_ then?" Sayaka slurred.

Kyoko figured she was pretty drunk herself, because what she thought to say was way out of character for her. It was true, though, so she said it anyway. Her voice softened as she leaned in close. "A toast, to the best girl I ever could have asked for." and she clinked her glass against Sayaka's. Sayaka stared at Kyoko deeply, completely won over by those words; and they each raised their glasses to their lips, and emptied them.

Not a second after Kyoko returned her empty glass to the coffee table, Sayaka was on the move. She climbed up into Kyoko's lap, straddling her and leaning in for a kiss. Kyoko was normally the instigator to these kinds of activities, but she thought she liked seeing Sayaka's aggressive side come out. Sayaka held her against the couch with a hand on each of her shoulders, pinning her, and started kissing her.

Kyoko's hands were in perfect position to start removing Sayaka's skirt, so that's what she did. When it was down around her knees, Sayaka lifted her butt into the air so Kyoko could pull it down the rest of the way, and she stepped out. Their mouths didn't lose contact for more than a second in the process.

Sayaka's hands then started working the buttons on Kyoko's blouse, until the garment was fully open, revealing a white stomach, and a black bra over a slender chest.

Kyoko thought she liked seeing Sayaka's more aggressive side, it was different than what they usually do, but at the same time she didn't want to give up her own position of dominance so easily. Her hands crawled further up Sayaka's body and grabbed at her chest. Sayaka, surprised by the sudden action, parted lips for a moment and that's all Kyoko needed to make her move. She flipped Sayaka over onto her back, and got on top of her, quickly rejoining their lips before Sayaka could make any complaint. Sayaka let out a muffled moan as Kyoko locked their mouths together again. If it was meant to be a word of objection, she quickly gave it up as she closed her eyes and continued with the kissing.

Kyoko's fingers twined together with Sayaka's left hand, and she grabbed her by the wrist on her right hand. She then delicately guided Sayaka's arms above her head. Kyoko forced one hand around both wrists so she could have Sayaka pinned, while still keeping one of her own hands free. Then she used her free hand to start pulling up Sayaka's shirt. Right around the time the shirt was coming over Sayaka's chest, she let out a soft moan, and Kyoko couldn't help but think how cute it was.

They had to part lips as the shirt came over her head, and once it was off Kyoko wrapped it around Sayaka arms to assist with restraining her. She then went right to planting kisses on her neck, each getting lower and lower as if she were laying a trail down to Sayaka's chest. Sayaka playfully resisted; moaning as she tried to pull away with an unresolved level of effort.

Kyoko's free hand went around behind Sayaka's back and undid her bra. Once it was off, her kisses turned into sucking at the newly exposed skin, and Sayaka let another cute sound escape her lips. She then gasped with widened eyes when Kyoko's free hand grabbed at that sensitive place between her legs. Kyoko looked up at her through the tops of her eyelids, her face still buried in Sayaka's chest. "I got another surprise for you, you want it?" She asked with a grin, and a seductive whisper.

Did she want it? Hell yeah, she wanted it! She didn't need to say a word, though; her eyes said it all.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"So what are we going to do?" Sayaka asked, twirling a bit of Kyoko's hair with her finger. Kyoko's head was on Sayaka's stomach, using her as a pillow. She liked it, the way her head would move up and down slowly with the motion of Sayaka's breathing, the way she could feel her pulse, but mainly it was the simple fact that she was close to the girl she loved.

"I don't know," Kyoko said, not really wanting to talk about this now as she worried it would ruin the mood. "We'll figure it out." She had a tone that implied it was the ultimate answer to the question and there was no need to think on it any longer.

It was currently around noon the day after they had broken into the hotel room. They had woken up inside each other's arms, each of them feeling just a little foggy and out of sorts because of the alcohol last night. Sayaka seemed a little worse off than Kyoko, so Kyoko took it upon herself to make breakfast and let her love rest a while longer. She didn't bother fully dressing herself, mainly because the blouse and skirt was uncomfortable, but she at least put her bra and panties back on before preparing breakfast. She would have been fine going about the morning nude, she sometimes liked the freedom of not wearing clothes, but figured it would make it difficult for Sayaka to eat.

Well, even seeing the redhead at the table in her underwear was a bit too enticing for the bluenette, as she couldn't keep her eyes off her. After a little coffee, a little food, and a little more rest, she was feeling a lot better too. Kyoko of course, couldn't help noticing the clothed girl being enamored by her, and it turned her on. Before they knew it, the two of them were right back in bed and Kyoko was once again stripping the girl who had only just gotten dressed.

They had ended up making love all morning, and now they lay in bed together, each fully nude and enjoying the other's quiet company. Kyoko had been staring at the ceiling, with her head on Sayaka, but she rolled over to look at her. With her ear against Sayaka's stomach she could hear all the natural sounds of her body even more clearly; her breathing, her pulse, an occasional gurgle. Kyoko found it to be strangely fascinating.

"We can't stay here," Sayaka pressed on. "We also couldn't ask Mami to take us for more than a couple days at a time. I'm sure she would take us for however long we asked, but it still wouldn't be right to impose like that."

"Yup," Kyoko passively agreed, still not really wanting to talk about it.

"They should be leaving again later this week, maybe we can spend a couple nights at Madoka's and a couple at Mami's until they are gone?"

"And sneak me out again a month later when they come back home? Yeah, great plan." Kyoko bit her tongue the second she said it. She was trying to shut the door on conversations about their future plans for now, and just enjoy the morning, but saying that threw the door wide open again. She sighed, realizing there was no avoiding it. "I don't want you to have to lie like that on my behalf, it's no good. Look, I've done just fine out on my own so far, so I could just-"

"Stop that," Sayaka said abruptly, brushing a strand of hair away from Kyoko's face. "I'll go with you, no matter where you end up, but the stealing and breaking into hotel rooms has to stop. You can't keep living like that. Last night was ok... it was just a one time thing, and it was actually a lot of fun." She blushed. "But we can't do something like that again." Kyoko had been watching her bare chest move up and down with the motion of her breathing, but now looked up at her girlfriend's face. "We'll find a way, and I'll always be by your side. No matter what." Sayaka smiled, running her fingers through Kyoko's hair.

 _Aw geeze_ , Kyoko thought, remembering how close she came to just running away herself. _I really don't deserve her._ Kyoko was looking at Sayaka's face over the mound of her breast, and without thinking she brought her hand up to it and circled a finger around her nipple.

Sayaka blushed, thrown out of the serious conversation they were having and without thinking said "You want to go again already?" Then blushed even more when she realized how plainly she had put it.

Kyoko smiled, lifting herself up so she could get a hand on each breast, then squeezed, raveling in the cute expression it forced onto Sayaka's face. "You know, it's a problem. If you keep letting me have my way with you like this, I'll never do anything else." She grinned. "I won't be able to resist, I'll just give in and end up staying in bed with you all day every day."

"Who says I'm the one letting YOU have YOUR way?" Sayaka said, moving a hand around to Kyoko's back, to pull her in closer. "You said yourself you can't resist. Maybe I'm the one who's got you right where I want you."

"I guess I'm alright with that too." A moment later, neither of them could say anything else, as their mouths were locked together.

* * *

Sayaka had to admit she had a lot of fun sneaking into the hotel room with Kyoko, and spending so much intimate time with her. The possibility of being exposed added to the excitement, and Kyoko must have been feeling it too, because the love making was even more passionate than when they usually do it. Sayaka thought it was a bad precedent to set, however. Mami and the others (mostly Mami and Sayaka herself) have been trying to get Kyoko out of her old ways, so when Kyoko suggested just breaking into another hotel room Sayaka had to turn her down.

They ended up staying the night at Madoka's house instead. Madoka was brought to tears when she heard about how badly Sayaka's parents had responded.

"You can stay here as long as you like!" Madoka said, practically shouting it at them while dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "My parents won't mind! And me and Homura would love to have you!"

Homura cleared her throat, thinking it was already a full house and she had enough trouble getting alone time with Madoka as it was. She couldn't think of a way to tactfully disapprove, however, so she grudgingly agreed. "Oh yeah, _sure_ , stay as long as you like…"

"For reals? Are you sure?" Sayaka asked. "I mean, we wouldn't want to impose."

"Of course!" Madoka shouted, her eyes were glassy and pouring out tears. "Right Homura?"

"Huh? Oh, yeaaahhh… _forealzies…_ "

* * *

Junko Kaname of course had no problem with them staying. Although, the next day she mentioned to Sayaka that her mother called.

"She did?" Sayaka asked nervously. "What did she say?"

"Not much, she just wanted to know where you were." Junko gave her a smile. "You can stay awhile until things cool down and you're ready to go back. I'll try and talk to her for you, too."

"Heh, thank you," Sayaka said. Madoka's parents were so cool, she thought, she sometimes wished her own parents were like that.

Staying at the Kaname's was nice. Sayaka enjoyed the fact that she could get a good meal without being the one to have to cook it. Despite her love of food, Kyoko didn't know how to make too many dishes herself, other than a few simple things. Although, Sayaka still helped in the kitchen occasionally, thinking she should repay the favor somehow, and Mr. Kaname seemed to appreciate the extra help.

Homura decided she didn't entirely hate have Sayaka and Kyoko around, either. Having Sayaka around gave her someone to poke fun at, and she did enjoy how easy it was to anger the bluenette; all it took was a sly remark here and there. She liked having Kyoko around too, because it gave her someone else to talk to. She always seemed to get along pretty well with Kyoko, perhaps it's because they had a similar way of thinking, and she was finding she really did enjoy their company.

Although, Homura's patience started to ware thin one night when she and Madoka were getting ready for bed.

"Homura thanks for being so welcoming of Kyoko and Sayaka," Madoka said as they climbed into bed together.

"Hm, yeah sure, can't just abandon a friend in need. Ya know?"

"Still, I was worried you would have trouble with this. I know you and Sayaka don't always get along, and… I don't know, I just wanted to say thanks I guess."

"Well, if you really want to thank me." Homura spoke in a low seductive whisper, moving in closer. "I can think of a way." Madoka smiled and blushed as Homura put a hand up to her chest and started undoing the top button of her blouse.

Then, their door swung open and Sayaka came into the room. "Hey Madoka, where's the strainer? I was trying to make some spaghet-" Madoka quickly pushed Homura away and pulled a blanket up over herself. "Woh, were you guys getting ready to do something weird?" Sayaka said, retreating back to the door.

"N-no!" Madoka said, her face glowing bright red. "W-we were just… um…"

"Ah, nevermind, I'll find it myself! Sorry to interrupt!" And she quickly shut the door behind herself.

Homura took a moment to regain her composure, then turned back to Madoka. "Eh, anyway, where were we?" and her hand started to go back to Madoka's blouse.

"Um, Homura, maybe tonight's not such a good idea?" she said, clearly no longer in the mood, and she pushed Homura's hand away.

The next night there was a similar problem.

Homura came into the bedroom holding a briefcase, and wearing a suit and a tie. "Honey, I'm home!"

Madoka was in there waiting for her, wearing an apron and using a duster on the top of a dresser. "Welcome home Homura-chan! Did you have a good day fighting witches?" she asked cheerily. "Do you want to take a bath? Or get something to eat… or… or…" She started fidgeting her fingers together and blushing "Or... _something else?_ "

Homura dropped the suitcase and started walking towards Madoka with outstretched arms. "I want YOU Madoka!"

Then, the door swung open, and Kyoko entered the room. "Hey what's the deal with the TV remote? I can't figure out how to-" Then she flinched back and pointed at them. "Woh, gross! Are you guys doing your weird role playing thing?"

"N-no, we were just… um…"

"Ah, never mind, I'll figure it out," Kyoko said, retreating back out of the room. Before leaving, she stuck her head back through the door and shouted: "Have fun!" with a sharp toothed grin on her face.

Madoka, of course, was now embarrassed and no longer in the mood.

 _That's it_! Homura thought, _that's the last straw! After all those years of battling walpurgisnacht and fighting to protect Madoka, I'm still being kept away from her love._ She left the room, transforming into her magical Girl attire and pulling an AK-47 out of her shield space. _Although you are right by my side, I have never felt so far from reaching you. It seems that I must once again take up arms and fight. But if it's for you, Madoka, I will continue the battle, no matter how long it takes. Even if I'm stuck in this endless maze... forever._

In the end, Homura found a much less dramatic way of solving the problem. She found Sayaka sitting in the kitchen alone one day, eating ramen, and took this as an opportunity to confront her. "Hey Homura," Sayaka said, slurping a few strands of noodles up between her lips.

"Hey," Homura said, taking a seat across from her. "You know, Kyoko shared with me the full details of what happened that night. I totally did not see you as that kind of girl."

"Eh, full details? That kind of girl?" Sayaka's face turned bright red. "N-now, whatever could you be talking about?! Ah, you know that Kyoko and her imagination! Always telling stories!" Sayaka laughed nervously. "You know, she likes to exaggerate! Yup, if she ate four burgers in one sitting one day, the next day she says it's ten! If she walks two miles one day, the next day she swears it was twenty! If she gave me a kiss on the cheek one day… the next day it's… eh… something else…" She scratched the back of her head. " _Yeeaaaahh…_ "

Homura just stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sayaka flinched back and folded her hands in her lap, trying to force the blush off her face. "Um… what are YOU talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you stood up to your parents."

"Oh yeah, that. Right, me too." She sighed with relief and regained her composure. "Really, I didn't do anything though, Kyoko is the one who was really amazing. She really managed to keep her cool through the whole thing, and said some things to my parents I never would have been able to say myself… All I did was storm out of there after everything was said and done…"

"If that's the case, don't you think it's a bit unfair to have Kyoko fight your battles for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I'm saying is this: Sure, you could just stay here for a while, and believe me we would love to have you." Her facial expression darkened and her teeth started grinding together, "We would _just_ _LOVE IT."_ Her expression then returned to normal without Sayaka noticing it had ever changed. "But you are going to have to face your parents eventually, right?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose so… but…"

"Look, what I'm saying is, you are going to have to go home eventually, and you can't just keep trying to keep Kyoko away from them. If you try to do that, then nothing has really changed, and a relationship can't last under those kinds of conditions. You are going to have to confront the issue, and go to them and make them understand. You are with Kyoko, and nothing's going to change that."

"I know you're right… but it's not that easy… I don't know what to say to them."

"Just go over there and be direct. They have had a few days to get use to the idea, so it probably won't be as bad as you think it will be. Just be strong, and do it soon. _Very soon_. Preferably tomorrow morning; and then get the hell out of-" She cleared her throat, "I mean, and then go be with your girlfriend in your own home, the way it should be." And Homura gave her a reassuring smile.

Sayaka pounded her fist into her hand and got a resolved look on her face. "You're right! I need to just go over there tomorrow and be direct! I'm going to do it!"

* * *

Sayaka felt a bit guilty for suspecting Kyoko of sharing details of their private life with Homura. She figured she should give Kyoko more credit. Sure, the girl could have a big mouth sometimes, but even she knew better then to go around blabbing to people about what they do when they are alone together. With that out of the way, Sayaka decided to go see what Madoka was up to. She found her in the living room with Kyoko, and could hear them talking to each other.

She walked in on the conversation just as Kyoko was saying: "Oh, and if you think THAT was crazy, I swear she was just as wild the next morning! I mean it, we went at it like five more times before it was even noon!"

Madoka's face was completely red, and she had her hands over her ears, shaking her head as if trying to bat the words away. "WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS!" She shrieked.

"Huh? Cuz we're friends now, right? I thought friends were suppose to tell each other about stuff." Then she noticed Sayaka enter the room. "Oh, hey Sayaka, we were just talking about you! Um… are you ok? You look kinda pissed."

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

* * *

Sayaka knew the Kaname family would accept them for however long they wanted to stay. If they didn't, then Mami certainly would. That was no good though. Homura was right, she had a home of her own, and she couldn't just disown her parents. No matter how upset she was with them right now, they were her parents and she knew what she had to do. That's why, early one morning she gave a sleeping Kyoko a kiss on the cheek and snuck out of bed. She got dressed and tiptoed out to the front door.

Before leaving, she took a deep breath and thought: _'Come on Sayaka, you can do this'._ It was a short walk back to her house, but at least she would have a little time to practise what she wanted to say.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sayaka felt nervous approaching her own house. The anxiety deepened when she saw her parents car in the driveway was already running, and the trunk was open. The front door of the house was also wide open with only the glass storm door keeping it sealed. Her parents were preparing to leave already, and Sayaka knew from experience that it was extra difficult to get a word in with them while they were trying to get their bags out the door. She could already hear her mother dismissively saying: _"That girl is not to come back to this house, and that's final!"_ In her rushed way as she continued to pack.

Sayaka swallowed and thought, _well, here it goes_. When she got up to the front steps, the storm door was already opening. A thin arm dropped a duffle bag in its way to prop it open, then her mother appeared holding a large suitcase. She stopped when she saw her daughter, and used her free hand to adjust her glasses. She was giving Sayaka one of those narrow, disapproving stares she always gives when Sayaka has done something she wasn't happy about. Sayaka imagined she gets the same look on her face when a business deal doesn't come through, or if she is looking at unsatisfactory numbers on a chart.

"Hi, I'm home," Sayaka said a bit bashfully, her hands folded at her waist.

"Welcome back," her mother said coolly, then "Can you grab that for me?" referring to the duffle bag that was propping the door open.

"Oh, sure." and before Sayaka could say another word her mother was already moving past her. Sayaka picked the bag up and quickly followed her to the car. "In the trunk?"

"Yes, that's fine, dear."

Sayaka did as she asked, then walked back to the house with her. Sayaka wanted to just come right out with it, but she didn't know how to start. Should she just start by demanding that Kyoko be allowed to stay here? Or should she start more subtly? She had strong words in her head on the walk over here, but she should have known herself better and prepared something easier to start with. Instead of saying anything related to Kyoko, she ended up just saying "So, you're leaving already?"

"Yes. We need to catch a flight in two hours."

"Um, where are you going this time?"

"Australia."

They both made it inside, and her mother reached down to grab another bag. By the time she picked it up, Sayaka finally worked up the courage. "Hey mom, can we..." But she stopped when her mother completely ignored her and went right out the door.

Realizing her mother had just purposely given her the cold shoulder filled Sayaka with anger. It wasn't the kind of anger that would make her storm outside and start yelling at her mother, it was the kind of anger that just turned her face red and caused the corners of her eyes to sting and feel wet. But then, she felt a big hand come down on the top of her head and ruffle her hair.

"Hey kiddo," her dad said. "Glad you made it back."

Sayaka suddenly forgot her anger with her mother, and her face turned red with embarrassment instead. "Da _aadd_! I said not to do that anymore..."

"Haha, oh sorry I forgot." And a smile came over his big face. "Well, looks like we're heading out again." In one arm he held a suitcase, but the other stretched out to offer a hug, which Sayaka returned.

"Hey dad, listen..." Sayaka said as she was released from his arm. "About Kyoko..."

She didn't think she could say _all_ the strong words she had in her head, but with her dad she thought she could at least say _some_ of them. He always was at least a little easier to talk to than her mother. Although, when her father responded to Kyoko's name by clearing his throat, it weakened her resolve a little. Still, she forced the words out.

"She's really a good person, a-and she doesn't have anywhere else to go!" Sayaka bowed her head. "Please can she stay here!" Her father was slow to respond, he looked past his daughter and out the door where he could see his wife stuffing a bag into the truck of their car. In a lower tone Sayaka added. "I-I really like her. She means alot to me..." her heart was thumping in her chest.

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. His expression was hard to read, but the words were clear enough. "Just don't say anything to your mother about it for now."

Sayaka smiled, "Thanks dad." but he was already moving past her.

A few minutes later Sayaka was standing outside the driver side window of the car. Her father was behind the wheel, and her mother in the passenger seat. "Have a safe trip!" Sayaka said to them.

"Will do." Her father winked.

Her mother leaned over to say something. "We left some extra money on the coffee table for you, incase you needed it for when school starts up again."

"Ok, thanks mom."

"We'll be back in a month. Good luck!" Her father said, before putting the car into drive and moving out of the drive way. Sayaka waved goodbye to them until the car disappeared down the street.

Maybe that didn't go quite as well as she had hoped, but it could have gone worse too, she supposed. She sighed, not sure what to expect from the future, but for now she could at least bring her girlfriend back home.

* * *

Kyoko came back to the Miki residence later that day, and things seemed to have returned to normal. Sayaka was still dreading the day when her parents would come back again, but she knew things would be different next time. If they still tried to kick Kyoko out, she simply wouldn't let them. If they were persistent, then Sayaka would leave as well. She hoped it wouldn't come to that, though. Her father at least seemed to be on her side, so maybe things would be alright.

After a while, school was starting again and it gave Sayaka a chance to get her mind off of things. She wondered how Kyoko would be in a classroom? A couple months ago Sayaka would have said it would be a disaster, but Kyoko had changed a lot since then, and Sayaka was looking forward to having her girlfriend as a classmate.

"Hey, how do I look?" Kyoko said with a grin, coming out of the bedroom dressed in the school uniform for her first time. It was funny, despite her being so resistant to the idea of going back to school before, she actually seemed genuinely excited about it now.

"Cute!" Sayaka grinned, "Schoolgirl Kyoko, never thought I'd see the day."

"Hey! We should totally wear these in bed sometime!"

Sayaka palmed her face. "Seriously, can you keep your mind out of the gutter for five minutes?"

On the way to school Kyoko couldn't stop asking questions. Though she asked a few questions about classes and teachers, most of her inquiries were related to the school lunch: What time was lunch? What would they have to eat? Is it the same food every day? Can you buy extra? Can you eat in class? Sayaka sighed, answering each of these questions patiently, and feeling reminded that Kyoko could seem a bit childish sometimes.

They met up with Madoka, Homura, and their other friend Hitomi about half way there.

Kyoko really seemed to be enjoying the experience; conversating and joking around with her classmates on the way to school. She also thought Hitomi seemed pretty cool too, although when Hitomi figured out the four girls she was with were all in relationships with each other, her face had gone bright red and she stared at the ground muttering something over and over again. It sounded like: _"Girls can't love girls, girls can't love girls, girls can't love girls."_

The first couple classes were a bit rough. Kyoko seemed to have a hard time paying attention, and kept trying to pass notes to Sayaka. She ended up getting the two of them into trouble on several occasions, and Sayaka scolded on the way to third period. Kyoko seemed to have gotten the message, because the note passing stopped for the rest of the day after that.

After school, they met up with Mami, Madoka, and Homura, and they all went out for milkshakes together. They offered for Hitomi to come, but she apparently already had plans to do something with Kyosuke that afternoon.

Sayaka and Hitomi were once at odds because of Kyosuke, but Sayaka let it go a long time ago and honestly didn't care at all anymore. She figured it was all for the best. Hitomi and Kyosuke seemed happy together, and despite all the baggage that came with the rambunctious red head, Sayaka was sure that she felt far more happier with Kyoko than she ever could have been with Kyosuke.

* * *

Kyoko may have had a rough start, but the next three days went a little better. Though Kyoko did fall asleep once, and ended up getting detention. Sayaka could see that she was trying hard, and felt proud of her for it. She also thought Kyoko seemed happier than she had ever seen her before. Though Kyoko was always quick with a joke, Sayaka always thought there was something else hidden behind her smiles and lively demeanor. For those first four days of school it was different; when Kyoko smiled it was because she was happy, and there was nothing else going on which the smile was trying to conceal.

On Friday, something changed, however. In the morning Kyoko didn't show the same enthusiasm for the upcoming day as she had been the previous four days. She seemed distant. Even walking to school with the rest of their group; Kyoko was completely silent while the other girls talked and joked around. In class, she didn't cause any trouble, but it's not that she was working hard either. She seemed distracted, and spent a lot of time just staring off into space. Not even lunch seemed to excite her.

Sayaka was trying to figure it out... What could have possibly changed since yesterday? Was she just feeling ill? Or did she already get bored of school? If that was the case then Sayaka was going to be very upset with her. That didn't seem right, though. Sayaka didn't know how to approach the subject just yet. But she was worried.

Even when they got home Kyoko just brooded around and didn't say much. When it was time for bed, she just got under the covers and shut out the light, barely even looking at Sayaka once. Sayaka didn't understand it. She thought maybe Kyoko was just having a bad day and would be back to normal tomorrow. So, she got into bed as well, and closed her eyes.

The next morning, Sayaka woke up alone.

"Kyoko?" she asked into the empty room. She quickly put on her morning robe, as it was peculiarly cold for september, and went out into the hall. She heard sizzling and the clinking of metal pans coming from the kitchen, and she could smell something cooking. She went into the kitchen and saw Kyoko standing at the stove, lazily working with a specula. Her hair was uncombed and loose strands were hanging over her face in a tangled mess. She looked over to Sayaka with a sad distance in her eyes, and gave her a half hearted smile. "It's almost ready."

Even during breakfast Kyoko ate without much enthusiasm, and Sayaka finally knew for sure that something was wrong. She didn't know how to approach the subject, however. She thought for a while, and eventually decided to just be direct about it and ask _'Are you feeling ok?'_. She didn't need to though, because just before she opened her mouth to speak, Kyoko spoke first.

"Hey Sayaka. Can you do me a favor?"

Sayaka answered softly, "Sure, what is it?"

"Can you take a trip with me to Kazamino today?"

"Kazamino? Yeah, no problem, but... Why would you want to go all the way out there?"

"I..." Kyoko moved the food around with her fork for a moment before answering. "I... want to go visit my family."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kyoko found a dark red blouse and black skirt to wear. Sayaka wasn't sure how to dress for a graveyard, but she opted for dark colors herself, thinking that was appropriate.

They were both quiet through most of the train ride. Sayaka felt a bit guilty that she had never thought things through before. She knew about what happened with Kyoko's family, because Kyoko told her about it two months ago at the time they first met. The thing is, Kyoko told the horrible story in such a carefree way, grinning and joking all the way through it, that Sayaka never realized how much it actually hurt her. Of course it hurt her, anyone would be devastated by it, and she had been carrying it with her this whole time. Yet, Sayaka never noticed how much pain she was actually in. She felt stupid, she should have known, should have brought it up some time and asked Kyoko about it more seriously.

It almost seemed like Kyoko could sense Sayaka's emotions, because as Sayaka was thinking those things she felt Kyoko's hand grab onto hers. Sayaka looked at her, and Kyoko gave her a soft smile, although her eyes were heavy with sadness. "Thanks for doing this... coming all the way out here."

Sayaka nodded, "Of course." and returned the smile.

Once they were off the train they made a quick stop into a small corner store to buy three roses, then walked the rest of the way to the graveyard. There were grey clouds rolling in overhead, and though it was a temperate september afternoon, occasionally a cold wind would blow by and chill their knees. _I hope it doesn't rain,_ Sayaka thought.

As they approached the graves, Kyoko stopped while she was still a good distance away. Sayaka stayed close to her side, holding her hand. A cold wind blew, carrying with it the smell of rain, and waving Kyoko's crimson red hair.

Sayaka wondered if she should walk up to the graves with Kyoko, or let her be alone with them? She wasn't sure which Kyoko wanted. When Kyoko started walking, she took Sayaka's hand with her, and that answered the question.

She let go of Sayaka's hand a few paces away, so Sayaka was close, but still back enough for Kyoko to be alone with the three headstones. She looked at the three roses in her hand, then walked over to her father's grave. Technically, he was the one who killed her mother and little sister, but it wasn't really him who had done it. It wasn't his fault; she knew that. It wasn't her own fault either, but Kyoko wasn't really sure if she believed that or not.

"Hey dad," Kyoko said, holding out a rose. "Sorry I haven't stopped by... I've been... I've been having a hard time with this. I'm doing better though. I'm trying to, anyway. I haven't been to church in a long time either, I know you might be upset with me about that. The thing is, I'm not really sure I believe in god... I hope you don't blame me for that. You've always been pretty open minded. You're the one who told me, it's not about who or what you believe in, it's about the kind of person you choose to be. Well, to be honest, I really haven't been too good... but like I said, I'm doing better. I'm back in school now, and I'm going to try really hard! You'll see, you're going to be so proud of me!" She kneeled down to put the rose on his grave and whispered, "I miss you." She said a silent prayer, then moved on to her mother's grave.

"Hey mom," Kyoko brushed her skirt. "Look how I'm dressed. You always use to get mad at me for wearing boy clothes all the time." She laughed. "I don't think you were being serious, but I still thought you'd like to see this. I'll wear something even cuter for you next time! I have a girlfriend now. She's really great. I'm sure you would have loved her, and she's making me really happy.

"Like I said to dad, I started going back to school. It's tough, but I'm trying hard. It's also a lot of fun sometimes too, and I have lots of friends now. I don't know what I want to do yet, but when I figure it out I'll let you know." She kneeled down to put a rose on her grave. "I miss you." Then, she moved on to Momo's grave.

She stood there for a while, just staring at the headstone with Momo's name printed on it, and the dates that marked her tragically short life span. "Hey Momo." She took a deep breath. "I miss you the most. I... I hope you haven't been too lonely while I was away. Your big sis has just been... well... I needed time I guess. I don't know, I guess I've really been being a bad older sister. That's going to change, though. I'm going to come visit you more often. I promise... I won't..." She could feel tears stinging her eyes. "I… I promise I won't abandon you again. I've been lonely without you too, so I'll definitely come around more often!

"Hey, remember when we were on that camping trip? It was just me, you, mommy, and daddy? That was a lot of fun wasn't it? Remember how there was that stream nearby, and we spent most of the day catching frogs? That was fun. Daddy didn't let us keep any of them, he told us to just let them go. He was right to tell us that, because it wouldn't have been fair to the frogs, but it was still a lot of fun. Right?

"I remember how when you were little, you were always afraid of the dark, so a lot of times at night you would come into my room and sleep in my bed with me. I never told you this before, but I used to be afraid of the dark too. I just never wanted to admit it. That's why, whenever you would come into my room, even if I acted annoyed, I was actually really relieved. Because I didn't think the dark was scary either when you were with me.

"Remember when we were little, and I started riding my bike without training wheels? You were so jealous because you wanted to do it too, but mommy and daddy said you weren't old enough yet. Then, I felt bad, so I let you use my bike anyway. But... but I messed up..." She could feel warm tears fully rolling down her cheeks now. "I let go, and... I... I let you fall. You scraped your knees and hands, and you started to cry... It was all my fault. Momo, I let you fall... I'm so sorry... I-I..." Her fist tightened around the rose she held, and a thorn pricked into her skin, drawing blood, but she didn't notice it. "I just wanted you to be happy, but I messed it up!" She suddenly fell to her hands and knees and screamed "MOMO! I'M SO SORRY!"

Her head fell low to the ground as she cried, and each heavy sob pushed up a cloud of dirt that was then inhaled back into her mouth, getting onto her face, and muddying her tears. Her hands dug into the ground in front of Momo's grave, digging up fist fulls of dirt, as she screamed and begged her dead sister for forgiveness. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!"

Sayaka fell on top of her, wrapping her arms as tightly as she could and pulling her into her body. She was crying herself, but she tried to contain it as much as she could, and just hold onto Kyoko and shelter her. She could feel Kyoko's sadness with each heave of her body and every time she sobbed or punched her fist into the ground. She could hear it with every scream and cry for forgiveness. If she could take some of Kyoko's sadness into herself, so it wouldn't be too much for her to bare, she would, and maybe that's what she was trying to do as she held onto the frantic girl. At one point Kyoko tried to pull away, or shake Sayaka off of her, but Sayaka refused to let go. Sayaka buried her face into Kyoko's back, staining her dress with her tears.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I messed it up!"

The rose Kyoko had brought was laid to the side, crushed and forgotten, and with a crack of thunder the sky started pouring down rain.

 _"I let you fall! I let you fall!"_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Guess we should have brought an umbrella, huh?" Sayaka said, just trying to get some speech out of Kyoko, who vacantly stared at the ground.

"Hm… Yeah…" she answered, in a low voice. They were out of the direct rain now, as they sat under an awning and waited for the bus, but both of them were still completely soaked. Sayaka scooted down the bench to be closer with Kyoko, and put an arm around her and rested her head on her shoulder. She supposed there wasn't much to say after all, so just sat there with her.

After a few minutes, the bus arrived. They paid the toll, and found a set of empty seats towards the back. Kyoko took the window seat, and stared out at the passing landscapes as the bus started moving and left Kazamino. Sayaka was worried, she had never seen Kyoko like this before, and couldn't help wondering if she should try to talk to her about it, or just give her time to think.

Like when they were on the bench, Sayaka scooted closer and returned her head to resting on Kyoko's shoulder with an arm around her back. Sayaka used to get embarrassed about showing any kind of affection out in public. Lately, that had really seemed to change however; these days she had no problems with holding hands, even in the school hallway, or giving Kyoko a quick kiss, or putting an arm around her.

"Hey Sayaka… sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to freak out," Kyoko said in a low, distant voice.

Sayaka hugged onto her tighter. "No, don't ever apologize for something like that. I'm always here for you."

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful. Madoka called the house and invited them out to lunch with her and Homura. Kyoko didn't seem in the mood for going anywhere, though, so Sayaka turned them down. She said she had to catch up on some schoolwork herself, which was true since she had spent half the day traveling to Kazamino with Kyoko. She knew Kyoko also needed to study. She was already so far behind since she stopped going to school for so long, and it was too early in the year to start slacking off already. So Sayaka forced her to get to work. Kyoko complained, minimally at first, but once she got started she was the perfect student. Although, she did struggled a bit and had to ask Sayaka for help. Sayaka figured this would be a good distraction as well, and would help get her mind off of things for a little while.

The following week at school things became a little more normal. Kyoko wasn't one hundred percent back to her usual self, but she at least managed to tell a few jokes on the walks to school, and a smile would return to her face from time to time. Mami did notice Kyoko seemed just a little off, and asked Sayaka about it one day when it was just the two of them in the hall between classes. Sayaka explained what happened at the graveyard, not going into too much detail, but giving Mami an idea.

"I see…" Mami said. "Well, that's good I suppose. You know, I don't think she has been there even once since it happened. I'm glad she is finally trying to get some closure on the whole thing."

"Yeah… she just seems really down in the dumps lately, though. I don't know, I wish there was something I could do to cheer her up."

"Just be there for her." Mami smiled. "I think you are the best thing that could have happened to her."

The statement made Sayaka blush and return a smile. "Yeah…"

* * *

Kyoko became very focused in class. She didn't try to crack a joke or pass a note to Sayaka once all week, and had her full attention on the teacher when she was talking. Sayaka knew it was difficult for her, but could tell she was trying really hard. The two of them studying together at night became a big part of their routine, and Sayaka tried her best to help Kyoko out in the areas she was struggling in.

That friday, there was a big math test. The five girls, including Hitomi, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka, and Kyoko, shared the results during lunch. Madoka presented her A with a cheery smile. Homura showed her A with a conceited level of nonchalance, as if she was sure no other result was possible. Sayaka had a B-, and she acted as though she was satisfied with it, but Kyoko could tell she was a bit disappointed. When it was Kyoko's turn, she quickly folded up the paper and stuffed it into her pocket. She put a thumb up and said, "Totally passed it!" with a grin.

That night when they got home, Kyoko ate a quick snack, then told Sayaka she was going over to Mami's house. When Sayaka asked why, Kyoko just said "I forgot there's something I told her I'd help her with. I'll be back around dinner!" and she quickly left without giving any more explanation.

Later, when Sayaka was getting dinner ready, she noticed a folded up piece of paper in the trash. She reached in and took it out: it was Kyoko's test. She scored a 56, which was failing, and badly. Sayaka frowned and returned it to the trash. She almost couldn't believe it, Kyoko had been working so hard that Sayaka thought she would at the very least get a passing grade. She decided she wouldn't bring it up, though, since Kyoko was obviously embarrassed and trying to hide it. Sayaka figured she should double her efforts with helping Kyoko study. Thinking of Kyoko, she looked away from what she was cooking and checked the time, wondering when she would be back.

* * *

"See," Mami explained, "Whatever you do to one side of the equation, you also have to do to the other side. Otherwise the whole thing gets thrown off."

"I see…" Kyoko said, pondering the problem, it was clear she wasn't actually getting it.

"Here, let's try a simpler one," said Mami, as she wrote down the following problem: X+3=9. "So, in order to know what X equals, you need to get it by itself. So, all you have to do is take away the 3." Mami then crossed out the 3 to represent what she was saying.

"I get it! So X is 9 now!" Kyoko declared proudly.

Mami nearly palmed her face, but stopped herself. She had gone over the concept several times already, but for some reason it just wasn't getting through to her. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Remember what I said? When you change something on one side you have to change it on the other side as well."

"Oh, so the answers 6, then."

"YES!" Mami cheered, and threw an arm around Kyoko's shoulder, feeling as though some progress had finally been made.

"Pfff, yeah that's easy. This algebra stuffs no problem."

Mami sighed and looked at the clock, realizing she hadn't gotten around to any of her own school work yet. "Kyoko," she said, "You know I don't mind helping you with this, but why don't you work with Sayaka on it instead? You are in the same class after all."

Kyoko waved her hand nonchalantly. "Are you kidding? Sayaka's way too bossy. She drives me crazy when we're working on stuff like this. Seriously, I can't get anything done when she's around." That was a lie, but it was the best excuse she could come up with.

The truth is, when Sayaka was trying to teach her things, Kyoko would just act like she understood because she was too embarrassed to admit that she wasn't getting it. She felt the same way about it in class, and that's why she usually wouldn't raise her hand and ask questions when the teacher said something that she didn't understand. With Mami it was different for some reason. She didn't feel any embarrassment about going to her old friend for help. "Besides, you're probably one of the smartest people I know, so it makes sense to ask you." She only added that part to butter Mami up and manipulate her into continuing with the tutoring.

Mami, of course, fell for it completely, as she smiled and tried to play off the compliment with modesty. "Oh, well it's really nothing. I mean, I do study a lot and I am a year ahead of you!"

"Yeah, right, so what about this one?" Kyoko asked, presenting her with another problem.

The truth is, there was another reason she didn't want Sayaka to tutor her anymore, and it wasn't just out of embarrassment. She saw the disappointed look on Sayaka's face when she scored a B- on the test. Kyoko knew that if it weren't for Sayaka taking so much time to help her out she would have easily gotten an A. Sayaka would never blame it on Kyoko, but Kyoko knew it to be true, and therefore decided she wouldn't allow herself to be a distraction any longer.

* * *

Kyoko got into the routine of going to the graveyard every saturday, and Sayaka would always come along with her. Kyoko would tell her mother and father about her progress in school, admitting that it was hard, but assuring them that she was doing her best and would end up getting good grades. When it came to Momo's grave, most of the time Kyoko wouldn't say anything. It was too hard for her. She would just stand in front of the grave and say a silent prayer as tears ran down her cheeks. If she were able to speak, she figured she'd tell Momo about the more fun parts of going to school. However, she felt too much guilt knowing that Momo would never get to experience anything like that herself, so usually ended up just staying silent.

Sayaka would stand back for a while, and let Kyoko have her privacy with them, but she also walked up to the headstones herself before she left to say a prayer. She assured Kyoko's mother that her daughter was doing alright, she thanked her father for raising Kyoko into such a wonderful person, and she told Momo she wished she had the chance to meet her.

* * *

Usually on days when they visited the graveyard Kyoko would become distant for the rest of the evening. Sayaka understood. Although it happened a long time ago, Kyoko was still trying to come to terms with it. Sayaka also understood that Kyoko had spent a lot of time blocking herself off from the grief, and after years of hiding from it she was finally starting to let it run its course.

One night after a graveyard visit, Sayaka found Kyoko sitting by herself in the backyard after they got home. She was just sitting in the grass, staring up at the sky. Even though Kyoko said she wanted to be alone, Sayaka came out and put an arm around her anyway. She knew the redhead well enough to know that when she started acting reclusive, that's actually when she wanted someone to be close to her the most.

* * *

Kyoko had been getting into the habit of running off to Mami's house after school with little or no explanation. Sayaka let it go at first, but after three straight days of this she got the idea that something was up and confronted Kyoko about.

"Alright, what's really going on?" Sayaka said to her, blocking the front door, with her arms folded.

"Hm? What are you talking about?" Kyoko asked, in perfect innocence.

"Monday, you said you were going over there to help her move her TV. Tuesday, you said she forgot how to make a B.L.T., so you needed to go over there and make one for her. Wednesday, she needed help defrosting the refrigerator…"

"Yeah, and today she needs me to tune an accordion. What's the problem?" Sayaka just stood there with folded arms and a raised eyebrow. "Ok! Ok!" Kyoko bowed her head apologetically "You're right, I'm sorry but I haven't been being completely honest with you." Her tone became serious and the guilt was clear over her face.

"Well… What is it then?" Sayaka asked compassionately, seeing that Kyoko was struggling with whatever it was.

"Listen, I was thinking back on that night when we had dinner with your parents. We were trying to cover up the whole Magical Girl thing and ended up lying about playing Mahjong, remember?"

Sayaka nodded slowly.

"Well, I realized something important in that moment." Kyoko raised her head back up. Her fist tightened with her resolve, and her eyes came alive with passion. "Despite being japanese, I have never once played a single game of Mahjong!" she confessed, dramatically. "It's one thing to not be good at one of our nation's greatest past times... but to have a complete and utter lack of knowledge in how it's played?" Kyoko fell against the wall, leaning her head against it tiredly as if the confession had zapped all her strength. "Can you even imagine the shame? The humiliation? The disgrace? That's why… Mami has found it in her heart to teach me, and has been training me in secret, so I would no longer have to live with this kind of shame!"

Sayaka's arms went completely limp at her sides and her mouth hung open in disbelief. _Does she really expect me to believe that?_

"Yup, so anyway I'd better get going," Kyoko said, snapping out of it. "I'll be back for dinner!" And she quickly strolled past Sayaka and out the door before she could be questioned any further.

 _Something's going on here,_ Sayaka concluded. _And I'm going to get to the bottom of it._

* * *

The next day at school Sayaka found Mami in the hallway at school and confronted her. "Alright, just what's been going on with you and Kyoko lately?" she demanded.

"What do you mean?" Mami asked, completely thrown by Sayaka's sudden interrogation.

"Why has she been spending so much time at your house? I mean, one night she told me you needed her to show you how to make a B.L.T…The ingredients are right there in the name! Bacon, lettuce, and tomato!"

Mami put a finger to the side of her face, feeling completely baffled. "Well, I've certainly never forgotten how to make a B.L.T…"

"So what HAS she been doing over there?"

"I've just been tutoring her... Oh… I see." Mami could tell by the look on Sayaka's face that Kyoko must have been keeping it a secret.

"Oh… but why would she lie about something like that?"

"I think I understand," Mami said calmly. "She likely didn't want to be a burden on you, or it's that she didn't want you to worry. Besides that, I'm sure you don't need me to tell you about how prideful she tends to be."

"Yeah… I guess you're right. Hey listen, don't let Kyoko know you told me though, ok? She wants to keep it secret so I guess I should respect that."

"Sure, no problem. How has Kyoko been lately anyway?"

"Better, I think. She has been visiting her family every weekend, and though it makes her seem sad at first, I still think it's been good for her."

Mami nodded, "That's good… you know, I was around back when all that happened… Kyoko took it really hard, as I'm sure anyone would, but… I was always worried that..." Mami shook her head, feeling tears coming to her eyes. All of a sudden she threw her arms around Sayaka. Sayaka was surprised by the sudden action but returned the hug. "Thank you so much for being good to her!" Mami said, her voice choking up a bit. "She needed someone like you in her life."

* * *

"Hey Sayaka," said Kyoko one night when they were out in the backyard together after a graveyard visit.

"Hm?" Sayaka asked, half falling asleep as she rested her head on Kyoko's shoulder.

"You know, I don't think I ever told you anything about my little sister... She was really sweet, you would have loved her... Heh, I remember there was this one time that…

* * *

"I got a…" Madoka started, preparing to present the near perfect score she received on their most recent test. She was interrupted, however, by Kyoko slamming her own test down on the lunch table for everyone to see.

"I GOT A 'C'!" Kyoko shouted proudly.

"Heh, sweet!" Sayaka said, praising her.

"Good job Kyoko!" Madoka agreed enthusiastically.

Homura wasn't so enthused. "Psh, a C is nothing to brag- AH!" Madoka kick Homura's leg under the table, and the pain brought light tears to her eyes. "I mean…" Her teeth were clenched, biting back the pain as she put a thumb up. "Good... _job…_ "

* * *

As the weeks went on, Kyoko's mood got better and better. Even on the days when she would visit the graveyard, she seemed perfectly fine, if not just a little somber. She would tell Sayaka stories about her family on the train ride back, but she did so happily, and the reserved distance she had displayed in the past had almost completely disappeared.

One night, after school on a weekday…

"Good luck helping Mami with that locust infestation!" Sayaka called to Kyoko as she was on her way out the door. Kyoko had run out of excuses for running off to Mami's house, so started reusing them. This is the third time she used the locust excuse.

"Yup, you know, I told that Mami to keep her windows shut during the day!" Kyoko laughed and shrugged, "Oh well, guess some people will never learn."

Her grades were getting better and better every week. She still wasn't exactly an A student, but her hard work was paying off. Mami, on the other hand, had started seeming really tired all the time. This is because she would have to stay up late to catch up on her own school work on the days when she tutored Kyoko.

* * *

Then, one night when Kyoko was getting out of the shower, Sayaka was sitting on the side of their bed waiting for her.

"What's up?" Kyoko asked, noticing Sayaka's troubled expression.

"Well… My parents just called. Their coming home tomorrow…"

"Oh…" Kyoko, dressed in nothing but a towel, went to sit down next to her on the bed. "So what's that mean?"

Sayaka looked at her and smiled. "It just means make sure you're home around dinner time. Ok?"

"But… what if…"

Sayaka put a hand on Kyoko's shoulder and leaned in for a kiss.

"Don't worry about it," she said when she drew back. Then, she got her other hand on Kyoko's other shoulder and pushed her down against the bed as she climbed on top of her.

"Heh, what the hell's gotten into you?" Kyoko said, but was quickly silenced when Sayaka's lips connected with hers once again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Autumn was rolling in, and the trees that lined the border of the graveyard were shedding their leaves, creating a red carpet on the ground around them. It was a chilly day with light cloud coverage, so Kyoko wore a light jacket over her blouse and skirt. She was by herself this time, as Sayaka needed to stay home to take care of a few things.

"Hey, sorry but this is going to be a short visit," said Kyoko, as she sat in front of the headstones with her legs folded. She already placed a flower at each one and said her prayers, and was now just talking to them. "I'm having dinner with Sayaka's parents again tonight, so I have to make sure I'm not late… I hope it goes well. Last time was a bit of a disaster, but I think it will be better this time around."

She wondered how her own parents would have reacted. She imagined they would be pretty accepting, if not a little shocked at first, especially her father. His religion technically didn't condone same sex relationships, but he wasn't exactly the type to adhere to every little thing the bible had to say. She figured he would have been alright with it, but guessed she would never know for certain.

Kyoko reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Oh, look," she said, "I got another test score back. It's a B! I was having trouble at first, but I told you I would start to do good. Remember my friend Mami? She's been helping me study a lot, so I guess she's partly to thank…"

Kyoko sighed as she looked over the headstones. No matter what, she would never get a responce from them. Still, she liked coming here. She didn't know if there was a heaven, or if her family could hear her when she talked, but she liked to think that they could.

She stood up. "Well, I want to help Sayaka clean the house up, so I better get going. I'll be back next week. Wish me luck!" As she was turning away, the clouds overhead parted, and a ray of warm sunshine shone down upon her. She looked up towards the sky, and used her hand to shield her eyes from the light. A sudden gust of wind blew her hair, and she looked back to the headstones, and smiled.

* * *

Kyoko made it back home with plenty of time to spare. Sayaka was cooking dinner when she arrived, so she busied herself with cleaning up the house. Even though by Kyoko's own personal standards she would call the house spotless, she found a few small things that could still be done. When she couldn't find anything else to do, however, she fell back on hovering around Sayaka in the kitchen like she usually did when Sayaka was cooking. She was usually more talkative, but was feeling anxious about meeting Sayaka's parents and paced around nervously. She wanted to ask Sayaka questions like "So they know I'm still staying here, right?" or "Do you think they'll be ok this time?" however, she was trying to hide how anxious she actually was and kept her mouth shut.

Sayaka quickly became annoyed with her, when she noticed Kyoko looking over her shoulder every time she went to stir a pot or get something from one of the cabinets. She kept quiet about it though. Kyoko may have been trying to hide how nervous she was, but Sayaka could tell her mind was occupied. Specifically because she wasn't back seat cooking, and asking how much longer it would take over and over again like she usually did.

"Hey, uh, need help with anything?" Kyoko asked.

"Hm, not really," Sayaka said, straining noodles over the sink. "Just need to take the chicken out and…" Then, the stove let out a ding signaling the chicken was done and synonymous with that, they heard the front door open. "Ah, they're here!" Sayaka said, nearly spilling the noodles out of the strainer. They were a good thirty minutes earlier than Sayaka and Kyoko expected them.

"Hey, we're back!" Sayaka's father called from the living room. "Sayaka?"

"I'm in here!" Sayaka called back, suddenly seeming rushed as she opened the oven door.

Kyoko's own anxiety hit it's peak and she glanced at the back door. Sayaka had said _"I'm here"_ not _"We're here"_ , therefore, it wasn't too late. Kyoko would never actually try to make a run for it, of course, but when the idea struck her she was somewhat tempted to just bail out the back door and forget about all this. She took a deep breath, and told herself to stop being stupid and just calm down.

Mr. and Mrs. Miki came into the kitchen as Sayaka was placing the chicken on the top of the stove. She turned to her parents and smiled. "Welcome back!" she said, "You're a bit early."

"Heh, yeah we made good time," her father said, laughing as he scratched the back of his head. Kyoko knew that gesture and suddenly realized how much Sayaka took after her father. Sayaka would make that same exact scratching the back of her head gesture whenever she was nervous. Sayaka's mother walked through kitchen, and looked from Sayaka to Kyoko with narrow eyes.

"Um, hello! Welcome back!" Kyoko said, trying to be as polite as possible.

"So, you're here," Mrs. Miki said dryly, walking over to the kitchen cabinets and grabbing some plates.

"Heh, yup!" Kyoko said, feeling incredibly awkward and not knowing a better way to respond.

"A-anyway, it's almost ready," Sayaka said, trying to distract from the tension.

Kyoko was starting to wish she actually _had_ bailed out the back door after all.

* * *

 _Well, at least they didn't try to kick me out this time._ Kyoko thought, though the scene at the dinner table was rather uncomfortable. For a while, there was no sound but the clinking of forks as the four of them sat at the table and ate in silence. Sayaka eventually ventured into some conversation by asking her parents how their trip went.

"The deal we went to Australia to work on closing ended up falling through," her dad answered, and shrugged. "Well, can't win them all. Anyway, Kyoko, how do you like your new school? You transferred into Mitakihara this semester, right?"

"Yes I did, and I like it a lot," Kyoko answered with a smile. She had been struggling with the awkward silence and trying to think of a way to break the ice, so was glad to finally be given an opening. "It's been a nice change, I'm glad I did it."

"What made you change in the first place?" Mrs. Miki asked, passively.

"Um… well…" That was a hard topic to get into. The truth was, she hadn't been to school in two years, and only started going again when her friends basically forced her to. She might not be on great terms with Sayaka's parents just yet, even though they were at least being somewhat pleasant this time around, but she didn't want to lie to them. As long as she was with Sayaka, these people were going to be apart of her life so she had to be honest with them. "The truth is, I actually hadn't been to school in a long time…"

Mrs. Miki looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Really… And why is that?" She had a somewhat interrogative tone to her voice. Sayaka looked over to her mother dolefully, hoping that she was going to be nice. She knew it was a difficult topic for Kyoko, and she had only just started coming to terms with it, so Sayaka offered her hand under the table to comfort her.

Kyoko took a moment to respond, but it was simply that she was trying to find the right way to put it. She didn't think this would come up so soon, but since it had she supposed there was no avoiding it. Although it wasn't a very pleasant dinner table topic. "Well… I lost my family a couple years ago. It was hard for me, and I didn't handle it very well, so I ended up not going to school for a while. Now, I'm trying to put things back together for myself." She paused and looked over to Sayaka with a smile. "Sayaka has been a big help to me… I owe a lot to her." Sayaka returned the smile and their hands tightened together under the table.

Mr. and Mrs. Miki looked at each other, silently conferring their thought. Mrs. Miki cleared her throat, "And you really have nowhere else to go?" She was a difficult person to read. Kyoko usually didn't have any trouble with looking people in the eyes, but with Mrs. Miki she was finding it somewhat difficult. She imagined even the stoic Homura would have trouble in this woman's presence. The fact that she was dating her daughter undoubtedly made it even worse.

"Not really, I mean, I have a few friends that would take me temporarily, but…"

"Well then, I suppose it'll be alright for you to stay here for a while." She said it as plainly as if she were commenting on the weather, then went back to eating. Kyoko and Sayaka both jumped up, each feeling as though they hadn't heard her correctly.

Sayaka's father gave Sayaka a wink. "We talked about it, and figured it's hard on you being here by yourself all the time, and if Kyoko really has nowhere else to go…"

Sayaka smiled, "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you so much!" Kyoko said, bowing her head.

"We'll just see how things go," Mrs. Miki added. "Sayaka, if your grades start to slip or if this ends up becoming a problem, we'll put an end to it." She shot Kyoko a similar look. "Same goes to you, as long as you are staying here I don't want any problems from you."

"I understand. Um, I promise I won't let you down!"

"Yes, you seem like a nice enough girl, so I'm sure there won't be any problems."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Although Kyoko was officially allowed to stay at their house, she still felt rather awkward around Sayaka's parents. Well, with Sayaka's father it wasn't so bad, he was at least approachable, but her mother was a totally different story. Over the last couple days when they would see each other around the house, Mrs. Miki would act like she didn't notice her and quite obviously give her the cold shoulder. Even the few times Kyoko tried to start a conversation with her, she felt herself being brushed off rather dismissively.

"She's just like that sometimes," Sayaka explained. "Don't worry, I think she actually does like you."

"Sure doesn't seem that way." Kyoko said with a sigh. She was laying down on the bed with her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. Sayaka, dressed in her pajamas, sat at her desk with a pen in her hand, finishing up the last of her homework before going to bed.

"Trust me, there's no way she would let you stay here if she actually didn't like you. As far as the way her attitude is now... mmm, how should I put it..." The pen is Sayaka's hand made it up to her lips, and she chewed on the end of it while she thought it over. "She's... _testing_ you, I guess."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. "Testing me? What's that suppose to mean?"

"Well, I don't know if that's the best way to put it. She did something similar to Kyosuke the couple times he has been over, except it was a little different with him. Well, actually it was the total opposite. She would be really direct with him and look at him in a way to make him uncomfortable. That's because he gets nervous easily. With you, it's different. You have such a strong will and are sociable, so she throws you off by ignoring you instead. I guess that's her way of seeing through to people's real colors..." Sayaka laughed, "Or something like that."

Kyoko thought it over, mildly thinking it sounded kind of sick. "Is that a normal way for parents to act?" Her lifestyle before she met Sayaka put her in a mindframe where she didn't really know much about social norms, therefore she was left pondering the concept, not sure what to make of it.

"I don't think so. I guess my family isn't exactly normal though, you know? I mean, it's pretty abnormal for parents to be away as often as they are in the first place, and their job is really competitive so that kind of sticks with them. I think the word to describe them is _'sharks'._ "

"Sharks, huh? Well, your dad doesn't really seem that way."

"Oh, you'd be surprised, trust me he is just as bad, maybe even worse. If you ever play a boardgame with him you'll see what I mean," Sayaka laughed. "Mmmm, anyway, with my mom. I also don't think she has totally gotten use to the idea about us yet, since we're both girls, so that probably has something to do with it as well."

"Hm... Well what should I do?"

"Just be yourself, she'll warm up to you eventually, I'm sure. Besides, they are only in town until next week anyway."

"Yeah I guess you're right, but I'd like to feel like we are on good terms before they have to leave again…"

"You're doing just fine. Seriously, don't let it worry you too much. Ok?" After writing down a few more things, Sayaka closed the notebook she was working in and yawned. "Well, I'm done, time for bed."

As soon as Sayaka climbed into bed, Kyoko started making her move. She rolled over and got a hand around Sayaka's waist and started pulling her shirt up.

"Kyoko!" Sayaka hissed, pushing her hands back down. "Not while my parents are home!"

"What? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously!"

Kyoko's face then sank into a deep pout "Hmph, no fair. I can't even kiss you?"

Sayaka grinned, "Geeze, you can be really needy sometimes," she said, teasingly. Kyoko sat back and folded her arms angrily; her pouting face grew even deeper to the point that Sayaka actually felt guilty. "W-well... I mean... um..."

Kyoko suddenly sprang forward and planted a kiss right on Sayaka's lips. She then quickly rolled away with her back facing Sayaka, and shouted: "Goodnight!" as she pulled the covers back over herself.

Sayaka was left sitting up with a deep shade of blush on her face, and holding her fingers against her lips where she had just been kissed.

She looked over at Kyoko who was now fully tucked in under the covers and facing away from her. _'Geeze, she's cute,'_ she thought, starting to feel herself getting hot. _'AH! She just did that to work me up! Well... she's not getting away with it...'_ Sayaka then snuggled closer to Kyoko and put an arm around her. She positioned herself so that her breathing would land on Kyoko's earlobe.

"Hmmm?" Kyoko turned her head slightly.

"Goodnight," Sayaka whispered, and closed her eyes with Kyoko firmly trapped in her embrace...

...It was a kamikaze attack.

* * *

The next day, at the Kaname household.

Junko was busy feeding Tatsuya from a small jar of applesauce, but succeeding in getting more on his face and around his highchair than actually in his mouth, when she heard a knock on the door. She sighed, and set the spoon down.

In the business world, she was queen of the castle. She aggressively climbed the corporate latter, leaving her competitors groveling at her feet, and top class CEO's fighting for her favor. At home, she was bested by an infant who simply refused to cooperate with her over the most minor things.

"Now you wait right here my little prince." She said to her son with a smile. He laughed and jumped up and down, pounding his small fists on the highchair. Junko half mindedly made a comparison to a soldier who was cheering after achieving some great victory on the battlefield.

She opened the door to find Madoka's red-haired friend Kyoko waiting out on the front steps. Junko noted that Kyoko had been dressing much nicer lately than when she had first started coming around with Sayaka a few months ago. Junko always thought her extremely casual clothing made her distinguished, which wasn't necessarily a totally bad thing, but still liked to see that the girl was maturing and taking care of herself better. Especially since she was the significant other of Sayaka, who Junko almost thought of as a second daughter. "Oh, hello Kyoko." Junko stuck her head out the door and looked around "Is Sayaka with you?"

Kyoko was blushing and seemed a bit out of sorts from her usual carefree self "Um, no, just me this time." She said with a smile "Um, is Homura here? I needed to ask her about something."

"Oh sure," Junko responded "She and Madoka are upstairs, you can go on up." After letting Kyoko in, Junko went back to the losing battle that she was faced with in the kitchen.

Up the stairs, Kyoko stopped at Madoka's closed bedroom door with her hand raised and preparing to knock, when she heard "H-Homura-chan! Don't put that there!" ... "AH! There's no way it will fit!"

Kyoko face went bright red as she continued to listen "Oh, it'll fit, here just flip it over like this and..."

"Ah! n-no! Not there, just stick it in here instead." A long stressed sigh, then "Ah, I told you it was too big. C-can we just forget this?"

"Oh no, not until you finish properly. _~homu"_

 _'Woah, she's really being forceful.'_ Kyoko thought. Then, her fang poked out the side of her mouth as a mischievous grin appeared on her face. She turned the doorknob very slowly, and opened the door just enough to fit her eye over the small crevice and look inside.

Madoka and Homura were inside. They were on the floor together and they were… they were...

...doing a puzzle.

Kyoko frowned, and knocked on the door a few times as she opened it.

Homura and Madoka both looked up as she entered the room "Oh, hello Kyoko-san!" Madoka said with her typical cheery smile on her face.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Kyoko said as she walked in and took a seat on the floor with them. The three of them made a circle around the half completed puzzle.

"Good!" Madoka said, as she pushed a puzzle piece against a spot where it clearly didn't belong "Me and Homura-chan were just doing this puzzle. I wanted to squeeze this in here... but..." Her face went red as she tried to force it "It... just won't... go in..."

"Sssshh, don't force it." Homura said soothingly, as she took Madoka's hands in hers and negotiated the puzzle piece out of her grasp "Here, let me put it in for you. Slowly... like this..." Madoka gave it up and let out a heavy sigh of relief when Homura clicked the piece into its proper place.

"You know, you two really need to start thinking about your word choice a little better." Kyoko said, blushing lightly and scratching the side of her face.

"What do you mean?" Madoka asked innocently.

"Eh, never mind... It's nothing..."

"Anyway, how did things go with Sayaka's parents?" Homura asked. Sayaka must have said something to Madoka about her parents coming home, who then relayed the information to Homura. "It's ok for you to stay there now, right?"

"Actually, they kicked me out the second they got back." Kyoko said "That's why I'm here, I was wondering if I could crash here for the next few days, or maybe just a couple months."

Homura's expression suddenly grew very dark "You... want to... stay... _here?_ "

"Yeah, and actually, you know what? Why don't we just make it a full year? I don't really have anywhere else to go."

Madoka's eyes glassed over with tears at the news that Sayaka's parents had kicked Kyoko out again. Her lips quivered as she prepared to shout out her acceptance and allow Kyoko to stay. Homura, on the other hand, was so opposed to the idea that it almost seemed as if a dark aura was radiating around her and sucking all the light from the room. Of course, she couldn't flat out deny the request as it would get Madoka upset with her, so she was racking her brain for an alternative. Perhaps she could suggest Mami's house. At Mami's, Kyoko could eat cupcakes every day… If Homura were to mention that, surely Kyoko would reassess her alternatives and...

Then, Kyoko let a big grin come over her face and she let them off the hook "Haha relax, I'm just kidding." she waved her hand to reinforce that it was just a joke "They're totally cool with it now."

"Kyoko!" Madoka shouted "You shouldn't joke like that!"

"Yeah, seriously!" Homura said, holding a hand over her racing heart "Don't play with my emotions like that!" She then coughed into her hand and her eyes shifted away "Er... What I mean is, um... it's not funny to joke about things like that… Kyoko-San..."

"So, everything's ok over there then?" Madoka asked.

"Well, not exactly..." Kyoko confessed "That's actually why I came over here, I wanted to get some advice from Homura."

"Advice from me?" Homura asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, the thing is, me and Sayaka's parents don't exactly get along all that well. It's not that we fight or anything like that, it's more like... I don't know how to put it."

"Is it that you feel as though there is tension in the air when you are alone with either of her parents?" Homura asked.

"Hm, yeah I think that's a good way to put it. Well, it aint really like that with her dad so much, but with her mom it's just really uncomfortable when we are around each other... Sayaka says I'm wrong, but..." Kyoko frowned "I kind of get the impression she doesn't like me."

"Perhaps it's that you need to find some common ground with her, something the two of you can relate to each other over?" Homura suggested.

"Yeah, that makes sense, but I don't know what we could possible have in common." Kyoko pondered it for a moment "You seem to get along pretty well with Junko, what do you have in common with her?"

"That's easy." Homura said, and put an arm around Madoka, pulling her into a headlock "We both adore Madoka." she started ruffling her hair with the other hand, which forced blush onto the pinkette's face.

"Homura! Cut it out!" Madoka shouted, and started pushing her away playfully.

Kyoko leaned back and cleared her throat, rolling her eyes at the two lovebirds.

Homura didn't seem to mind, but Madoka suddenly seemed really embarrassed "A-anyway! Homura is also really helpful around the house." Madoka said "She does the dishes, and helps papa in the garden, and she's so good with Tatsuya too!"

"Hm, so being helpful... I guess that's an obvious one."

"The bottom line is, just don't worry too much about it." Homura said "If you're living in their house, and going out with their daughter, you are going to start getting along with them eventually. There may be some awkwardness at first, but that'll work itself out. Just don't be a burden and it should be fine." Madoka had escaped Homura's grasp, but as Homura was explaining all of that, she sneakily got an arm around Madoka's side and was once again wrestling her into submission.

"Homuraaa-chan!" Madoka shouted as she struggled "Come on! Not in front of Kyoko!" Although she was complaining, and seeming to try to escape, she was also laughing.

Kyoko didn't really seem to take much notice of the lovefest at first, as she was pondering what Homura had said and thinking things over. "Well, thanks for the advice, I think I... um..." Homura was now fully on top of Madoka and had her pinned to the floor. Madoka was laughing and trying to push her away, but Homura was clearly winning the battle. Kyoko palmed her face and laughed "I... think I need to get out of here now..." Kyoko sighed as she stood up "I'll let the two of you get back to finishing your puzzle..." Though, she had a feeling the puzzle wouldn't actually be getting finished any time soon.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

If Kyoko's once favorite green hoodie were to go missing, she may not have even noticed it. Even on the occasion where she _would_ wear it, she opted for something a little better than a simple black tank top to go on underneath. The black tank top in question also seemed to be fading into extinction, because the only time she would ever where it anymore is before going to bed. She probably wouldn't mind going about in the morning with it as well, as long as Sayaka's parents weren't home, but she decided whenever she was out of the house or around friends she wanted to look nicer.

Part of it was for Sayaka. Although Sayaka had never said anything about Kyoko's wardrobe before, and as far as Kyoko could tell Sayaka really didn't care. Kyoko _did_ care though. They were still being supported by Sayaka's parents but one day in the future Kyoko knew they would have to make their own way. When that day came, Kyoko wanted to be able to provide for her girlfriend.

She didn't think she would continue her own education after high school. Try as she might she just wasn't a good student. She was a passing student, at least, and all she really wanted was to just get a high school diploma. Sayaka, on the other hand, would probably go on to attend a university. Therefore, Kyoko wanted to make sure she could get a job and support her.

She smiled, thinking about how great it would be when they had their own house to live in.

She felt a bit silly for thinking about things like that. It was still quite a long time away, after all, and it's not like she and Sayaka had talked about things that far in the future yet. Still, Kyoko liked to fantasize about when that day would come.

Right now, Kyoko had a bit more of a present problem, though. She felt as though she got along well enough with Sayaka's father, but her mother still seemed to be a tougher nut to crack.

She thought back on the advice Homura had given her...

... _Find some common ground_ … what could that possibly be, though?

She couldn't figure it out, and eventually tried picking Sayaka's brain for an answer one night. They were both doing some schoolwork, Sayaka at the desk between their bed and a window, and Kyoko sitting crossed legged on the bed with a textbook open in front of her.

"Hey Sayaka, what kinds of things do you think I have in common with your mom?"

Sayaka instantly burst out laughing.

"Hey! The hell's your problem?! I just asked a serious question here!"

"Heh, sorry," Sayaka said, wiping a tear away from her eye. "Hmmm… well how should I put this?"

"And what the heck's with that tone?"

"To tell the truth I really doubt you and my mom have _anything_ in common. Seriously, you are like polar opposites." When she then saw the troubled look on Kyoko's face she got a bit more serious. "Ok, whats this about? I told you before not to worry too much, she definitely likes you. There is no way she would be alright with you staying here if that wasn't the case."

"Even if you say that, it sure doesn't feel like it."

"Well, it's also possible she is still a little sore about the night you first met. You know, when you told her off?"

Kyoko blushed and scratched the side of her nose, "Oh yeah… that's right." Suddenly the idea that she would _ever_ be on friendly easygoing terms with Sayaka's mom felt like an impossibility.

Sayaka smiled as she turned her chair away from the desk to face Kyoko. "I mean, she is a pretty prideful person, but at the same time I bet that made her respect you."

"Huh?"

Sayaka grinned as her eyes sank to the side. "I remember getting mad at her when she was mean to Kyosuke too, back before I met you. She was so unapproving of the person she knew I liked and it just frustrated the hell out of me. I felt like she was sabotaging my life just to screw with me… or something… maybe that's not the right term, though. Anyway, turns out she was right about him. His music was nice, but apart from that I don't know what I ever saw in that guy."

Kyoko took a moment to ponder what Sayaka was saying.

"It's different with you, though. I mean, she might be a bit standoffish and even rude to you, but the fact you're sitting here right now must mean she has _something_ she likes about you… I guess."

"It would be nice if it actually seemed more like it, though. I mean like… I see how Homura is around Madoka's family, and it's nothing like that between me and your parents. I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong…"

Sayaka sighed, "I swear, you can be really troublesome sometimes."

"What's _that_ suppose to mean!" Kyoko said, raising her voice.

Sayaka just laughed. "That's because Mr. and Mrs. K are _cool_! My parents are a little more conservative _\- if you couldn't tell -_ you're just taking them way too personally." She smiled. "Trust me, you are doing fine."

They got back to finishing their homework, Kyoko asking for help on a few problems along the way. When they were done Sayaka changed into her pajamas and got into bed with her. Kyoko knew Sayaka wouldn't want to do anything intimate while her parents were home, but at least managed to get an arm around Sayaka's side as she negotiate herself into a cuddling position. Sayaka had taken a shower earlier that night and Kyoko could smell the shampoo in her hair. After the lights had been out for only a few minutes Kyoko could not resist nuzzling the back of Sayaka's neck a little, and planting a few kisses there.

" _Kyokooo,_ cut it out!" Sayaka complained in a tired voice as she struggled under her girlfriend's arm.

"Heh, sorry I couldn't help it," Kyoko whispered back. Her eyes shut and she drifted off, soothed into sleep by the warmth and the scent of the girl she loved.

Maybe she still had some worries, but as long as she could stay this close with Sayaka, she figured life was just about perfect!

* * *

Kyoko woke up in the middle of the night needing to go to the bathroom. She carefully took her arm away from Sayaka, and slowly negotiated herself out from under the covers and off the bed to avoid waking her. She stood in the dark and watched Sayaka's sleeping face for a moment. Sayaka rolled onto her back and breathed out, making a " _mmmm"_ sound as her legs and shoulders squirmed.

 _Damn it,_ Kyoko thought, clutching a hand at her chest and grinning. _Where do you get off being so damn cute?_

When she was done in the bathroom her stomach let out a small growl. She knew there were a few apples in the kitchen, and decided to go get herself a midnight snack before getting back into bed. She carefully tiptoed through the dark halls, not wanting to accidentally wake anyone up. When she crossed into the living room she could see the kitchen light was on.

Was it Sayaka's mom, or dad? If it's her mom, maybe this could be a chance to have a one on one conver-

"It would be tough for her to leave for a new school at this age," said Sayaka's father. They were both in the kitchen, talking to each other about something... New school? They couldn't be talking about Sayaka...

"It's a top rated boarding school, and it could provide more structure for her."

"The credentials certainly are good."

 _Boarding_ school? They _couldn't_ be talking about Sayaka!

"It may have been putting too much on her to leave her to tend the house alone like this," said Mrs. Miki's cool voice. "It's no wonder she's been acting out. We really should have done this back when Junko gave us a call back in april, when Sayaka missed some days of school. Her desire to move so quickly into relationships is another symptom, I think."

 _What?_

Mrs. Miki continued, "She went from that other boy to secretly moving someone in within just a matter of a few months. Actually, it was likely even less time. It's not normal for a girl her age to act this way."

 _But… we love each other…_

"She would have a hard time forgiving us," said Mr. Miki. "Knowing her, she would just interpret it as a way to keep her away from Kyoko."

"She'd get over it. At this age such things tend to come and go anyway, but keeping her in her current situation could end up jeopardizing her future in the long term. I don't know if a relationship is good for her right now in the first place, let alone with another _girl_. It could-"

Kyoko's feet retreated backwards in shock. She was usually nimble and would never misstep, but the way her mind was suddenly racing caused her to hit a small table and accidentally knock over a lamp that was perched atop it. It didn't break, but a moment later the overhead light came on and Mr. and Mrs. Miki were standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Kyoko?" Mrs. Miki asked.

Mr. Miki cleared his throat, "Listen, we were just-"

"I-I didn't mean to eavesdrop! But don't send Sayaka away! She has too many friends here!… I-if I'm the problem..." She felt tears stinging her eyes. She was appalled. She didn't know what to think, or what to say… but if they were talking about forcing Sayaka to move away from all her friends… then... "If I'm the problem - then I'll just be the one to go!" Without thinking she turned and ran away. Before she even knew what she was doing she was outside, running down the street with the cold night air on her skin and her bare feet slapping hard against the pavement as she ran.

* * *

 **Sorry for how long it has been for an update, I will explain why once the story is complete (which will, conservatively, be within the next 2 weeks) There are 2-3 chapters left, depending on if one of them needs to be split into two. The very last chapter is already mostly done (and actually has been for over a year)**

 **Also sorry to end on a cliff hanger after such a long hiatus, but I will work hard to get the next chapter out as soon as possible!**

 **Follow me on twitter at /Atomyst_Fics or find a direct link in my profile.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Atomyst**


	18. Chapter 18

Sayaka yawned as she came out into the living room. She was rubbing her eye with a half asleep frown on her face. "Whats going on?" she asked in a tired voice as she looked around. "Where's Kyoko?"

Her parents glanced at each other, apparently neither of them were sure what to say, which was a rarity for them. Sayaka saw the concerned looks on their faces, and then she saw the open front door. Her hand dropped away from her eye as she ran to the door and stuck her head outside. Kyoko was already nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?" Sayaka demanded, then turned to them more directly and said: "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing to warrant _this_ behavior," her mother said in a defensive voice. Sayaka was in no mood for bickering, though. She went right for the coat rack, grabbed a jacket and started putting it on. "Sayaka, it's the middle of the night. Don't even think about-"

"I need to go find her!" Sayaka shouted, and marched right back to the door.

"Sayaka, wait a moment," her father said and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Sayaka instantly shook his hand away and turned to him. "Don't!" She shouted. Her parents both had shocked looks on their faces, having never once heard their daughter address them like this before. "I don't know what you did, and I don't think I even want to know! But if you did something to hurt her, I swear I'm never going to forgive you!" she shouted.

Her mother stepped forward, "Sayaka, calm down and-"

"Why do you always do this!" Sayaka screamed at her, cutting her off and not letting her finish. "Why do you always have to screw with everything that's important to me!?"

Sayaka then tried to go out the door, but her mother put herself in the way and blocked her from leaving. As angry as Sayaka may have been she still would not go as far as physically pushing herself past her mother. Instead, she was ready to turn around and make her escape out the back door, then she would run as fast as she could and try to catch up with Kyoko.

Before she able to do that, her mother did something that stopped Sayaka dead in her tracks. It's something she had never done before, something Sayaka never thought she would see out of the overly prideful woman, or even imagined she was _capable_ of: she bowed her head.

"Sayaka please go back to bed for now."

Sayaka scoffed, somewhat subdued by her mother's unexpectedly calm tone but still not willing to back down. "No way, I need to…"

"Let us do it," her mother said. Once again, the unexpected words and tone threw Sayaka off. "Please, let us be the ones to go find her."

* * *

Kyoko's pace slowed to a walk after a while. Winter had not quite set in yet, but the nights had become uncomfortably cold. She had run out of the house in what she'd slept in: her black tank-top and a light pair of basketball shorts. Her bare feet against the pavement are what felt the coldness the most, softly stinging with numbness.

"What the hell," she muttered to herself. "What's wrong with those people?"

At least she got one thing out of this: she no longer gave a _damn_ about impressing them. If they could talk that way about Sayaka, who Kyoko thought was one of the most wonderful people in the world, then their opinion was completely worthless!

"Damn it!" she yelled, and slammed her fist against a light post as she passed by it.

She stopped walking, stood there, and just thought.

 _What now?_

They want to send Sayaka away to a boarding school. Away from her friends, and her happy school life… _and away from me…_

Her lips stiffened as her head lifted up. "No way," she declared.

There were a couple courses of action she could take.

She did not need to live at Sayaka's house, she supposed. It would be hard, especially if she wanted to keep going on with school, which she did. If just disappearing from their sight was the only way to keep them from messing with Sayaka's life, she might not have another choice. At least that way she could still see Sayaka.

The other option was trickier: go back there right now and… and what?

She was not sure what the proper thing to say to them would be. If she did not handle it correctly, she could just end up making things worse. Maybe that is why she ran in the first place. She needed time to think. Well, she was thinking now, and it wasn't doing her much good. She had no idea what to do.

She thought back on the first option. She would be downgraded back to secret girlfriend status, which she hated. She remembered how upset she was at Sayaka back when all this first started, but now she fully saw why Sayaka had been so hesitant. It wasn't because Sayaka did not take their relationship seriously, nor was it because she did not think Kyoko was good enough to meet her parents. Rather… could it have been that her _parents_ were not good enough to introduce to her girlfriend? That thought felt oddly cathartic as it crossed her mind. _They_ were the ones who were not good enough.

Just what kind of parents spend so little time with their child in the first place? Meanwhile doing nothing but judging her and talking badly about her behind her back. Refusing to hear her out or respect her feelings when she tries to tell them something important, and then secretly trying to plan her life for her with no regard for what she felt or what she wanted.

 _Poor Sayaka_ … she was too good for them too. It's a shame she could not see that herself; how amazing she was, and how completely worthless _they_ are. Kyoko should have seen it on the night she first met them… why _hadn't_ she seen it? Maybe she had been trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Well, that was all over now. Now, she understood _exactly_ who they are...

With those thoughts now fully formed on her mind, she no longer felt herself pulled to that first option. Her head turned, and her eyes narrowed with intensity as she stared down the dark street. She knew exactly what to say to them. Just throw caution to the wind and speak her mind. She loved Sayaka, and she would show them the proper way to treat someone who you loved.

A car started coming down the street. Its headlight blinded her for a moment, making her squint and look away. Then she realized she recognised the car, and as it slowed to a stop and parked just a few paces away from her, she felt her adrenaline pumping. Her face locked into a scolding expression as the passenger door opened, and Sayaka's mother stepped out.

She had a stern expression on her face, and a spare coat draped over one of her arms. "Honestly, just what are you thinking?" said Mrs. Miki. "You're going to catch a cold. Come along now." She held the jacket out to Kyoko.

Kyoko stood her ground; not reacting to the coat that was being offered to her, and not letting her intense stare relent one bit. "We need to talk."

Mrs. Miki's eyes narrowed. "Indeed we do."

"I love Sayaka," said Kyoko, "And she loves me too. Trying to separate us is pointless. It's not going to happen, and even if you do pull it off somehow it is only going to hurt her, not help her. So just quit it!"

Mrs. Miki sighed. "Teenage girls are always like this about their first loves. They are convinced this love of theirs is special, as if it is the only thing in the world that matters. There are millions of others out there who you could fall in love with."

"That's a pointless thing to say. I don't want anyone else. I want Sayaka! And you're right, she _is_ the most important thing in the world to me. Saying it like that doesn't make it not true!"

"You're a girl."

Kyoko gritted her teeth, "What the hell does _that_ have to do with anything?!"

Mrs. Miki's eyes narrowed further. "You certainly are showing your true colors tonight, aren't you?"

"Don't change the damn topic!"

Mrs. Miki's eyes then fell away. "The truth is, it worries me. I don't know how to imagine her future now. I also don't know if it is right to support this or not. If I were to keep her away from you, would it turn out to be a phase that passes?"

"You got some nerve, lady."

A cold wind blew, blowing Kyoko's hair as she and Sayaka's mother faced off. A smile touched Mrs. Miki's lips… at least, it looked like a smile. It was a bit sinister, really, but she held the coat out to try and offer it once again. "You are going to catch a cold, girl. Put this on and get in the car."

"I still got a lot more to say to you."

"I'm sure you do. So, why don't we go find somewhere warmer to finish this off?"

Kyoko stared her down a moment longer, but eventually took the jacket. More snatching it from her than accepting it.

Kyoko followed her back to the car. Sayaka's father got out of the driver seat and held the back door open for Kyoko. She glanced up at the big man, her own eyes still intense although he gave her a half smile. His expression was rather hard to read, but she got the impression he was at least a little more accepting of her relationship with his daughter. Still, he had been discussing sending Sayaka to boarding school, so Kyoko wasn't sure if she could count him as an ally or not. Sayaka had warned her that he was just as much of a _shark_ as her mother (maybe even worse).

All the same, as she got in the car she said "Thank you." Kyoko didn't understand why they were against her relationship with Sayaka, but she would stand her ground. She loved Sayaka, and _nothing_ could keep her from her!

* * *

 **If you enjoyed reading this and would like to see more please consider supporting me. Check my twitter account for how. /Atomyst_Fics**

 **A huge thank you to rpmichaels57 for contributing already! You are seriously awesome :D**

 **-Atomyst**


	19. Chapter 19

Kyoko sat across from Sayaka's parents, more directly across from her mother and the tension between the two of them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Mr. Miki, on the other hand, seemed somewhat out of place as he casually flipped through a menu. He was a difficult person to get a read on as he somehow always managed to present an aura of mild amusement. Mrs. Miki was just the opposite: always intense with piercing eyes that felt like they were attempting to dig away at your soul. Kyoko was not bothered by her though, at least not anymore.

After getting Kyoko in the car they took her to a small twenty-four-hour diner. She was wearing her shoes which the Miki's had grabbed for her before they left the house, and a coat. Aside from those she wore what she had been sleeping in when this all started: Just a short pair of basketball shorts which left her legs mostly exposed, and her black tank-top. She didn't even have a bra on underneath.

She wasn't exactly dressed appropriately to be out in public, and the way Mrs. Miki looked at her made her wonder if coming to a public area like this was part of some kind of intimidation game. Indeed, she would normally feel rather awkward and thrown off to be dressed like this outside the house, but right now it couldn't possibly bother her. She was too angry and she needed to defend Sayaka!

The waitress came over and set two cups of tea down for Mr. and Mrs. Miki. Earlier when she had taken the drink order Kyoko simply said " _Fine, thanks"_ not wanting anything.

"Ok, have you all decided on what you want to eat?" she asked the table.

"Just the pancakes, thank you," said Mr. Miki as he handed the menu back to her.

The waitress stood around awkwardly for a moment while Kyoko and Mrs. Miki just continued to stare eachother down. "Um, anyone else?" she asked with a somewhat humorous smile, which was an unsuccessful attempt to break through the tension. After not getting a response she cautiously slid the two remaining menu's away from them then went back to the kitchen to fill Mr. Miki's order.

"You can't send Sayaka away," Kyoko finally said, just breaking right into it.

"I'm quite sure we _can_ ," said Mrs. Miki.

"Why? Just to prove some kind of stupid point? Just so you can control Sayaka's life?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Mr. Miki jumped in. "This doesn't have anything to do with you, it's something we have been discussing for quite a while, actually."

"I heard what you were saying to each other. You have a problem with my relationship with Sayaka simply because I'm a girl. Well let me explain something-" she put a hand over her heart. "I would do anything for Sayaka. If being a girl is a problem for her I would gladly change into a boy instead. There are only two reasons why I don't: first is because that's impossible, and second is because the two of you are full of crap for thinking my gender is an issue in the first place!"

Mr. Miki looked over to his wife. "She can certainly be quite direct when she wants to be."

"Indeed."

Kyoko gritted her teeth. "Don't talk about me like I am not sitting right here!"

Mrs. Miki stirred her tea and responded to Kyoko with her typical cool level tone. "I am not opposed to the relationship simply because you are a girl, though I do have some concerns about it. Nor is your… _involvement…_ with my daughter the _only_ reason we were discussing a boarding school. As we told you, it is something we have been talking about for a while and had planned to act on it at the end of this year."

"Why would you think she needs that, though? Don't you know it would make her sad to leave her friends behind?"

"It is not as if she can not make new friends," said Mrs. Miki.

Kyoko was about to chastise her for that response, but Mr. Miki spoke first. "Don't get the wrong idea. It is not as if we are doing this on a whim. It is something we have discussed for a long time. Last year we saw that Sayaka was struggling in school and even skipped classes for an entire two weeks. You have to see that this concerned us."

Kyoko fist tightened. The period of time they were referring to is when Sayaka became a Magical Girl, and when Kyoko had first met her. Sayaka came very close to going over the edge, but managed to pull herself out of her depression. It was thanks to her friends; Madoka, Mami, even Homura, and in no small part Kyoko herself. That is also when Sayaka saved Kyoko from her own destructive lifestyle. Kyoko eyes tensed, but she decided to hear them out for a moment longer.

"It is our fault," Mrs. Miki added. "We thought that she could handle keeping up with school and tending to the house alone. We put too much on her, and it is time to make things right. Really, we should have seen that it would cause problems. Now we think it is best we send her somewhere where she can have more structure. A little more discipline will be good for her. Maybe _then_ she will start acting right."

Kyoko took a deep breath, tried to let her tension sink away a little and speak as calmly as she could. Despite the effort, she still couldn't quite control the next words to come out of her mouth. "You people are so full of shit."

Mrs. Miki's eyes narrowed. "I had a _feeling_ that polite girl you were pretending to be was a facade. Thank you for proving my intuition correctly."

Kyoko just grinned and shook her head. "You want to know what the real problem here is? It's not what you think."

It seemed that Mrs. Miki could not help a grin from appearing on her own face as she stared Kyoko down. Her eyes spoke of confidence, as if she were sitting behind a solid defence on a chess board and was awaiting her opponent's next move. The term Sayaka had used to describe them was " _sharks"_ and it was so clear in that moment. Kyoko did not know much about their careers, but she did understand something. They were very good at what they did, but it went to their heads. Clearly, they did not understand their own weakness, and that weakness was that they _thought_ they always had the answers.

"The real problem," Kyoko said, being sure to make eye contact with each of them. "Is that you have no idea who Sayaka is. I guess you are pretty smart people, but in this case…" She shook her head. "You don't know the first thing about your own daughter!"

They each glanced at each other, but seemed that they had nothing to say.

Kyoko continued. "The way you seem to talk about her, its like you have no idea how amazing she is! She's smart and funny, she works really hard and I never knew anyone who tries so hard to always do the right thing like she does. Aside from that, you have no idea how much she tries to impress the two of you. Then you just treat her like crap when she tries expressing herself and shows who she really is. If you want my opinion, the two of you should be ashamed!

"There is no reason for you to be plotting behind her back and trying to figure out how to _fix_ her, as if anything is wrong with her in the first place! There is nothing wrong with Sayaka! The only problem is you! You can't see how great she is! If you _could,_ then there is no way in hell you would ever have talked about the stuff I overheard you talking about in the kitchen!"

"There is still that issue of her skipping school last spring," said Mrs. Miki.

"She was just stressed out. Like I said, she tries way too hard sometimes and she ended up burning out… I guess. I mean, like, she puts way too much pressure on herself to be perfect, and doesn't take her limits into account. That's sort of what I love about her, though." Despite herself, Kyoko smiled. "Even if I do have to reel her back down every now and then."

"You can say all of that," Mrs. Miki continued, "But how do we know it will not happen again? At a boarding school we will have much more transparency with how she is doing, and there will be much more authority in her life to keep her from slipping off the tracks again."

"She doesn't need that, and it _won't_ happen again. Things are different now," said Kyoko as confidently as she could.

"And why is that?"

"Because Sayaka has _me_!"

Mrs. Miki's eyes narrowed, reaching the peak of their intensity for the night. "Oh? And what possible difference do _you_ make?"

"Because, we help each other. Look, before I met Sayaka I was a completely different kind of person. I was mean, and selfish, I didn't care about anyone or anything and… I mean… I was just totally lost. I think… the triggers were different, but what started to happen to Sayaka is the same thing that had happened to me all those years ago when I lost my family. The difference is, Sayaka was able to pull out of it, and I wasn't. That is, not until I met Sayaka and we became friends.

"I can't really explain what it is, but it's like we both compliment each other. Like, I want to do good and be the best person that I can be just so that I can be worth standing by Sayaka's side. Also, so that if she struggles I will be able to support her and not just contribute to any problems or be a burden. I love Sayaka! If she isn't happy then I am not happy, and I know she feels the same way! Now that we have each other I know that we can both support each other and be the best that we can be!"

Kyoko sat back, now finished with everything she had to say. For now.

Mr. and Mrs. Miki seemed a bit taken aback, until Mr. Miki looked over to his wife and said, "She really has no problem just putting it all out there, does she?"

"Indeed," his wife responded.

A smile came over his big face. "I told you she was impressive."

Mrs. Miki sighed and rolled her eyes, which was a rather out of place gesture coming from her. "Yes, I suppose you were right on this one."

Kyoko once again felt herself wanting to complain about them talking about her as if she were not there, but the atmosphere had changed and she was not sure what to make of it yet.

"So, are you all done now?" Mr. Miki asked his wife.

Mrs. Miki thought for a moment, then let out another sigh. Her demeanor had become somewhat melancholy. She almost seemed disappointed, in a way. "Yes, I suppose."

Mr. Miki smiled and looked over to Kyoko, whose expression had become puzzled, obviously not quite sure what to make of the exchange. "Earlier when you overheard us in the kitchen, I suppose you did not hear the entire conversation and our words may have been taken out of context. Otherwise I do not think you would have reacted _quite_ the way you did. Still, it was all for the better in the end, it seems."

He gave her a good hearted smile, but Kyoko could not get the puzzled look off her face. "Boarding school is something we were talking about, but before that we were discussing how well she seemed to be doing lately." He looked to his wife and smiled, before putting his gaze back on Kyoko. "I think our consensus was that we would wait a little longer and see if things kept up. To see if having you around really would be a positive thing for her or not. I suppose you did not hear that part, did you?"

"But what about what you said about me being a girl?" Kyoko asked, "How could _that_ have been out of context?"

"I suppose it was not; but, what did I say? I was merely concerned about the fact you are both girls, but more than that what had me worried was her desire to jump into relationships. At least, the fact that it _seemed_ that way." She sighed again. "What _can_ I say? I have concerns, many things concern me, I can not help it. Whether you love each other or not, the world can sometimes be cruel when things are out of uniform. I did not know if the two of you were prepared for this. That is where my concerns came from.

"However," she continued, "In all honesty you have impressed me tonight." Her eyes narrowed but she then gave Kyoko an actual smile. It was not the practised professional smile she sometimes gave. There was actual warmth in it this time; something Kyoko had not yet seen from her. "Clearly you are a strong girl. If my daughter has someone like you as her partner, then I am sure the two of you can handle whatever the world throws at you."

Kyoko's eyes widened, "Do… you really mean that?"

"Yes," Sayaka's mom smiled and bowed her head. "You have my blessing."

The waitress then came over with Mr. Miki's order. "Ok, everyone doing alright?" she asked, apparently seeing the atmosphere had changed.

"I hate to be a bother," said Mr. Miki. "Could you actually wrap that up to go? We need to get back home."

"Oh sure, that is no problem," said the waitress with a smile then returned to the back so she could box his order.

Sayaka paced around the house in her pajamas, with her fingers entwined behind her back. Where were they? Were they able to find Kyoko? And what exactly caused Kyoko to freak out and run out of the house in the first place? Sayaka wondered if she really should have been the one to go look for her after all.

Then, she heard the car pulling into the driveway. She glanced out the window and saw the headlights, then instantly ran to the front door. She could feel the chill from outside and instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest as she squinted her eyes and tried to see into the car past the headlights. Then, when the lights went off she could see a crop of red hair in the back seat and she sighed with relief.

All three of them got out of the car and walked up to the house. "What's going on?" Sayaka asked, "Is everything alright?"

Her mother was the first to make it to the front door. "Yes, everything is fine, dear," she said as she passed by her and went into the house.

"What happened?" Sayaka asked to no one in particular as she looked between all three of them.

"We just talked for a little while, is all," Mr. Miki said as he gave her a wink. He reached his hand up to pat her head and she instinctively flinched down into her shoulders. He stopped himself at the last moment, remembering that she had asked him not to ruffle her hair like that anymore, then continued into the house.

As soon as Kyoko made it to the front door she wrapped an arm around Sayaka and pulled her into a hug. "Yup, everything's good!" Kyoko said with a grin. "We just took a chance to clear the air, is all."

"Well, it's late," said Mrs. Miki. "Why don't we all get to bed now?"

After getting into bed, Sayaka apparently was not quite ready for sleep after all, as she kept picking Kyoko for details about _exactly_ what had happened. She was glad that they seemed to be getting along now, but could not quite fathom what led to the change. She decided to let it go, though.

She snuggled up closer to Kyoko's side and began to close her eyes, but felt something was amiss and looked up at her. She saw Kyoko's face was wet. "Kyoko?" she asked softly, and lifted herself up onto an arm. "What's wrong?"

Kyoko shook her head and wiped the tears away. "It's ok," she said. "I just… started thinking about my family."

"Oh…" Sayaka laid her head down against Kyoko's chest, and hugged an arm around her. "Want to talk about it?"

Kyoko smiled. "It's something my father once said to me. I was just remembering, when he lost his position in the church and we became very poor. I was really upset… angry that he was being treated unfairly and I guess I expressed that to him. He said…" she sniffed and Sayaka hugged her a little tighter. "He said… _Everything is always alright in the end, and if it's not alright then it's not the end._ "

Sayaka looked up at her, and despite the tears Kyoko was actually smiling. "I don't think I really understood it back then… but, for some reason when I thought of it just now… I think I finally get what he was trying to tell me."

Sayaka snuggled herself more firmly against Kyoko and closed her eyes. "Yeah… I think I get it too…"

* * *

 **Last chapter coming soon.**

 **-Atomyst**


	20. Chapter 20

**When I posted chapter 19 of this story FFN bugged out and did not send the notification emails. Make sure you have read chapter 19 before reading this chapter!**

* * *

"Now, the shing about bushiness is ya' gotta be TOUGH!" Junko explained to the Miki's as she balanced a wine glass in one hand and pointed a finger at them with each drunkenly enunciated word. "When the carsh'ds are on the table, there'sh no room for being nish!"

The Miki's were long time friends of hers so while conversations like this were rare, it was not altogether a new experience. They knew Junko had few flaws outside of occasionally not being the best at handling her liquor, and patiently waited for a break in her rant. "And another shing!"

Miss. Saotome from school had been invited to the new years party at the Kaname's as well, and found herself in a conversation with Hitomi's mother. Apparently she and Hitomi's father were in the process of a divorce, which may not have been a great topic for the party atmosphere, but since Saotome had also just split up with her boyfriend they ended up engaging in a conversation with each other about what jerks men could be.

On the other side of the room a couch and a love seat were pulled towards each other for everyone else to sit. Madoka sat in the middle of the couch with Sayaka and Homura on either side of her.

Kyoko and Mami were on the floor with Tatsuya, playing with him and engaging in whatever conversation they could get out of the toddler. They both were completely enthralled with him, and he seemed to be enjoying the attention. Though, he seemed particularly fond of Mami as most of his focus stayed on her.

Over on the loveseat Hitomi sat with Kyosuke. Months ago, when everything first started, things between Sayaka and them had been pretty awkward for a while. That no longer seemed to be the case however, as she had honestly completely moved on from it, and was back to being great friends with both of them. She had Kyoko now, after all, and whenever she would hear Hitomi complain about _captain oblivious_ on their walks to school she knew that everything actually worked out best in the end.

Sayaka looked over to Kyoko who sat on the floor with her legs crossed and a big smile on her face as she tried to feed Tatsuya a pocky stick. Kyoko could be a lot of things, but _oblivious_ was not one of them. She was very receptive to other people's feelings, almost annoying so sometimes, even if she often tried to pretend as if that were not the case.

"Want one?" Kyoko said to Tatsuya with a big smile on her face, as she pushed a pocky stick up from the pack and tried to offer it to him. Kyoko only managed to distract him away from Mami for a brief moment though, and as soon as his little fist snatch up the stick he went right back to focusing on her.

"Maaaa- Maaaaa!" Tatsuya giggled, apparently trying to say Mami's name.

Kyoko folded her arms and grinned humorously. "Well, looks like Mami finally managed to find someone after all," she laughed. "Never would have guessed you like 'em so young, though. Geez Mami, I can't believe _that's_ what you are into!" and she laughed some more.

Mami tilted her head with a smile. "Kyoko, I know you are trying to be funny but that is rather crude, don't you think?"

Kyoko just grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"Seriously though Mami," Sayaka chimed in. "You better be careful! If my little brother-in-law's first word ends up being _Mami_ I'm going to be totally jealous!"

"Um, brother-in-law?" Madoka asked.

"That's right!" said Sayaka as she threw an arm over Madoka's shoulder and pulled her in tight. "Don't think that just 'cause I'm going out with Kyoko that means you're off the hook! You are still my wife, you know!"

Madoka could not help laughing as she unsuccessfully attempted to push Sayaka away. "Come on Sayakaaa! Cut it out!" she complained, though she was laughing and her complaints only seemed to egg Sayaka on more.

"No way! I'm never letting you go Madoka! You're all miiinnne!"

On the other side of the couch Homura coughed into her hand and seemed to have sunken into a rather dark demeanor, not at all amused by Sayaka's antics.

Kyoko noticed this and grinned widely as she said, "Hey Sayaka, you better be careful over there, looks like Homura's starting to get jealous!"

"Hey!" Sayaka said, finally releasing her grip on Madoka though she still kept an arm over her shoulder as she gave Kyoko a scowling expression. "Shouldn't _you_ be getting jealous too?"

Kyoko just grinned and shrugged her shoulders with the pocky stick between her teeth. "Naaaaa, you know me, I'm good about sharing!"

Sayaka returned the grin as she pulled Madoka in tightly once again and used her other hand to ruffle her hair a bit. "Then how about coming over here and helping me make Homura _really_ jealous?!"

"Sayaka, seriously stop!" Madoka laughed. "Now you really are taking it too far!" Despite her words, she seemed unable to stop giggling.

Hitomi's hands had been fidgeting together through the whole scene and it seemed she had finally lost her ability to keep her composure. "N-not only are girls loving girls… b-but… polygamy?! Th-thats too much!" Her hand clasped at the sides of her face in her classic Hitomi-expression. "It's a double dose of forbidden love!" Then she exasperated and fainted into Kyosuke's arms. Kyosuke just held her with a perplexed expression on his face, apparently unsure of what to do.

Mami looked up from playing with Tatsuya and asked, "Is she ok?" with some concern in her voice.

"Her?" Sayaka grinned, pointing a thumb over to Hitomi and keeping Madoka trapped in her embrace. "Yeah, don't worry, she'll be just fine."

Homura, on the other hand, did not seem to be entirely fine. Her hands clutched into fists at her knees as Sayaka continued to mess around with Madoka. The darkness that had come over her seemed to radiate off her like an aura which sapped light out of all the space immediately around her. That is, until someone unexpectedly threw an arm over her shoulder and trapped her in a headlock.

"Shhhooo! How'sh mah favorite daughter-in-law doing!?" said Junko with a drunken slur, waving Homura back and forth under her arm.

Homura's dark expression instantly turned to blush, and it seemed the tension from a moment ago was already completely forgotten.

"Ya'know what I like about chu?" Junko asked, poking a finger at Homura's chest. "You're awrays keepin' it cool! Ya' know waht I mean?" Homura apparently was at a complete loss for how to respond and just allowed herself to be swayed back and forth while she held a blank expression on her face.

Madoka put a hand over her face and said, "Oh mom… you're drunk!" She finally pushed Sayaka away then got up to take her mother by the shoulder to try and guide her away.

Tomohisa saw what was going on and went over to help his daughter out. "I got it from here," he said as he took his wife by the arm, and he and Madoka shared a good humored grin with each other.

"Wah? Wa'sh the problum? Ish a party!" Junko laughed as she was guided away. "Par-tay! Par-tay! Par-tay!"

Madoka just laughed to herself, shook her head, then went over to the snack table to grab a few things before returning to the group. On her way over she noticed Miss. Saotome and Hitomi's mom had gotten rather close, and even caught Miss. Saotome brushing Miss. Shizuki's hair to the side with an adoring smile on her face.

 _Hm, they seem to be getting along pretty well. I'm glad Miss. Saotome found a new friend!_ Madoka thought, not thinking much of it beyond that.

At the snack table, she went right for the plate of cupcakes Mami had brought over, but as her hand reached out to it she stopped and frowned. She looked down at the empty plate and she realized there was nothing left but some crumbs and little bits of icing.

"Oh no… they are all gone already…" Madoka said to herself, sighing sadly.

Then she heard a voice. "What is the matter? Madoka Kaname?"

She looked up and realized Kyubey was now sitting on the snack table, staring up at her with his beady red eyes.

"I-it's terrible!" Madoka explained, "I came over to get a cupcake… I-I wanted to get one for Homura-chan too… but…" She looked down at the empty plate and shook her head pitiably.

Kyubey stood up and padded over to the plate, joining her in looking down at it. "It is only natural that it would turn out this way. In the end, there simply were not enough cupcakes to go around. It was _always_ going to end up like this."

"B-but… th-that's horrible!" said Madoka, clutching her hands at her chest. "It's not right!"

"You know, it doesn't _have_ to be this way," said Kyubey, suddenly looking back up to her. "If you wanted, you could easily change this outcome."

Madoka stared back at him, her eyes widening. "Y-you mean… s-someone like me can really do something to help?"

"Absolutely! You hold inside yourself the power to change this fate! All this despair, all this tragedy, all this hunger! YOU could change _all_ of it! Just make a contract with me! And become a Magical Girl!"

"W-well I…"

"If you like, I could make it so that you and your friends are _never_ without cupcakes _ever_ again!"

Madoka sighed, searching deep inside herself for the answer. When she found her resolve, her gaze returned to the incubator with her eyes beaming powerfully. "Alright, _incubator_. I have chosen my wish! I wish that-"

Homura wasted no time coming over and snatching Kyubey up by the back of his neck. "Down boy," she said as she carried him out of the room.

Of course, only Madoka and the Magical Girls in the room could see Kyubey. Thus, Tomohisa wondered why Homura was leaving the room so suddenly. "Is she alright?" he asked Madoka. "Where is she going?"

Madoka just shrugged with a grin and said, "Um… bathroom?"

"Where are you taking me?" Kyubey asked Homura.

"Relax, we are just going out behind the toolshed for a moment," she told him as they crossed the threshold into the hallway.

"This is so illogical! Don't you realize how pointless-"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. This is the third time just this week, you know."

A minute later a loud bang was heard from somewhere outside, and everyone in the room jumped. The adults all looked amongst each other, all thinking the same thing. Mr. Miki spoke up and said, "That sounded like it was a-"

"Sounds like someone out there is celebrating a little early!" Mami quickly shouted with a laugh. All the adults took a moment but ultimately seemed to accept that explanation, then shared some laughter and returned to their conversations.

Mrs. Shizuki had been startled enough by the blast that she had jumped into Mrs. Saotome's arms. They were now blushing as they held each other and stared into one another's eyes.

A moment later Homura reappeared in the doorway; brushing off her hands with an accomplished look on her face and no Kyubey in sight.

The rest of the night went by without a hitch. Kyosuke put on a small performance with his violin, which everyone applauded and agreed was very good. Sayaka was happy to hear it too, her wish is what gave him back the ability to do that after all. She also realized when she saw Hitomi hug him and congratulate him afterwards, she was actually quite glad to see things working out between the two of them and that they were both happy.

Homura ended up on the loveseat with Madoka, now being sure to keep an arm around her and refusing to give her up again for the rest of the night. Tatsuya eventually fell asleep in Mami's arms and Kyoko and Sayaka sat on the couch together. When it was a minute before midnight everyone at the party migrated to the back yard and counted down the last ten seconds of the year together. As soon as they reached zero they all cheered and fireworks started lighting up the night sky.

After everything was done and the party was dispersing, Miss. Saotome said goodnight to Hitomi's mom, discreetly slipped her a piece of paper with her phone number, and said they should get together again some time. Mrs. Shizuki smiled and agreed.

Kyoko and Sayaka, along with Mami, all decided to have a sleepover with Madoka and Homura but everyone else was now heading home for the night. Before the Miki's took their leave, however, they went over to Sayaka and Kyoko who were now on the loveseat together.

"Hey, so guess you are leaving now?" Kyoko asked.

Mr. Miki gave one of his warm smiles. "Yes, before we go we but wanted to give you something."

"Huh? Give _me_ something?" Kyoko asked, then noticed Mrs. Miki was holding out a small box with a ribbon wrapped over it.

"Yes," said Mrs. Miki, "we picked a little gift up for you. It is a thank-you present for helping Sayaka take care of the house while we are away."

"Oh gee, thanks a lot! You didn't have to get me anything, though," said Kyoko as she took the box. She looked over to Sayaka who gave her a smile.

"Sayaka actually gave us a hint on what would be a good present for you," Mr. Miki explained as Kyoko started undoing the ribbon.

When Kyoko finished unwrapping it and opened the box, a slightly puzzled expression came over her face. Once it registered she grinned and let out a laugh. "Haha! Awesome!" she said as she held up a gift certificate for a certain produce store which she loved shopping at.

Mrs. Miki rolled her eyes, "I personally wanted to get something with a little more class, a nice neckless perhaps, but Sayaka insisted that you would appreciate something like this far more."

Kyoko laughed again, "Oh yeah, this is awesome! I mean, this is good for at least two weeks worth of food from there!" her eyes suddenly turned to stars as her mind ran through the possibilities of foods she could buy. Sayaka gave her shoulder a nudge to bring her back to reality. Kyoko set the coupon back in the box, smiled, and said, "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome," said Mr. Miki, "I'm glad you like it."

"Oh!" Kyoko reached into her back pocket and pulled out her box of pocky. She flipped the lid open and held it out to them. "Want some?"

Mrs. and Mrs. Miki glanced at each other, raised an eyebrow, then accepted the offer.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs. Miki said as she took hers. The two of them with pocky sticks in their mouths looked kind of silly, and then when Sayaka snatch one up too they all shared a laugh together.

* * *

The next morning all of the girls were gathered at the breakfast table, including Junko who was nursing her headache and occasionally letting out a pained groan. The only one missing from the table was Mami who opted to help Tomohisa with preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

Kyoko had her chair turned towards Tatsuya and laughed along with him as they played a game of peek-a-boo. Sayaka and Madoka were across from each other having a conversation which Homura would occasionally chime in on, usually for the sake of taking some subtle jab at Sayaka as she innocently sipped her coffee. Homura would never outwardly admit how much fun it was getting Sayaka riled up, if not for the simple fact of how easy it was. Besides, she had to pay her back somehow for all those foolish " _Madoka is my wife"_ comments she would always make.

In the kitchen they had reached a calmer stage of the cooking process and Tomohisa took the chance to thank Mami for the help. "Thanks for giving me a hand in here, Mami. Sorry to take you away from your friends like this though."

"Not at all!" Mami responded cheerily. "I am the one who offered after all. Besides, I am having a lot of fun doing it! You know, I live alone so I usually do not get to spend mornings with people like this and I am just happy to be a part of the atmosphere."

Tomohisa chuckled, "Well, please feel free to come over more often then. Especially if you will be helping with the cooking. I really appreciate the help." and he gave her a wink.

Mami laughed, "Alright, deal! I will be sure to take you up on the offer."

Then the phone began to ring and Tomohisa's head came up from tending the stove. "Huh, now who could be calling this early in the morning?" He then turned to Mami and asked: "Would you mind watching this for a moment?"

"Of course!" Mami said with a smile as she took over his place at the stove.

Tomihisa picked up the phone and said, "Hello?" There was a moment of silence, then, "Homura? Oh, yes she is here. Just a moment." Homura, having heard her name, glanced over to him. "It's for you."

"Hm." Homura stood to go receive the phone. She wondered who it could be. Anyone who could possibly be calling for her was currently in this room so she really had no idea. "Yes?" she asked after taking the phone from Tomohisa, who then went back to cooking breakfast with Mami.

There was no answer on the other side of the phone so Homura asked again. "Hello?" Then, the caller on the other side of the line finally spoke, and her face grew dark.

Madoka caught a glimpse of the intense shadow that had come over Homura's eyes before she turned away and lowered her voice to speak into the phone again. "How did you get this number?" she said with a sneering whisper.

Sayaka and Kyoko had started on one of their rounds of bickering until they also noticed the concerned look on Madoka's face, then they each looked over to Homura and got the idea something was going on.

"Well I don't want to talk to _you_! Don't ever call here a-" She paused, listened, then abruptly shouted: "It's too late for that!" and slammed the phone back onto the receiver. She stood there, staring at the phone with her intense eyes until it caught up to her that everyone in the room was now looking at her.

Madoka's hands clasped together nervously and she asked, "H-Homura? Is everything-"

"Everything is fine." She straightened her posture, cleared her throat, then said "I'm going for a walk." She then turned and very quickly started leaving the house.

Madoka instantly got up and followed after her. "Homura? W-whats wrong?" Homura had already slipped on her shoes and was pulling on a light jacket as she left the house. Madoka fumbled with her own jacket, and then stumbled into her shoes as she followed Homura outside. She bent down to unbunch the heel with her finger while walking down the front steps. "Homura, wait!" she called again.

Homura walked quickly, hands buried deep in her pockets and it was unclear whether she was ignoring Madoka purposely or was just too deep in thought to take notice. Madoka eventually caught up to her, "Homura!" she got in front of Homura and pushed against her to force her to stop. "What's going on!" Madoka said, trying to catch her breath.

"It's nothing, so don't worry about it," she said, glancing away.

"No! You can't do that!" said Madoka, partially shouting it at her. "Don't shut me out! If something is going on you _have_ to tell me!"

Madoka would have taken Homura's hands if they were not buried in her pockets, so instead she grabbed her by the sides of her arms. "What happened?" she asked again, and when Homura still would not respond she asked: "Who was that on the phone?"

Finally, Homura let out a resigned sigh, paused, and said: "It was…" She closed her eyes and her entire body tensed up as she gritted her teeth and forced the words out. "It was... my... _father…_ "

* * *

 **To be continued…**

 **-Atomyst**

* * *

 **This is the end of this story, but there will be a sequel. I will talk a little more about it when I post an afterword in the near future, so keep your eyes open for that! For now I will just say that the sequel be titled "Any Colour You Like" and will focus on Madoka and Homura's relationship as opposed to Sayaka and Kyoko's. Homura's father will also be involved as a catalyst for the plot.**

 **Thanks for reading! For updates on progress with my fics and what I am doing come visit my twitter account-**

 **At /atomyst_fics or find a direct link in my profile!**


End file.
